A New Threat
by BrennaM
Summary: **WARNING POSSIBLE PERMANENT HIATUS** AUPreHBP There is a new enemy for the wizarding world and a certain witch finds herself in loads of trouble. Rated for language, sex and extreme violence. HGSB, GWDM so far for pairings.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any of the characters in this story..they all belong to JK herself.

"used for talking to other characters"

'_used for internal thoughts'_

* * *

It was a beautiful day in London. The sun was shining brightly, the temperature was warm but there was a pleasant breeze to cool one off nicely. It was this beautiful day that found a 24 year old Hermione Granger laying on the ground in Green Park. Fortunately it was midweek so the usual flock of tourists that gathered to take pictures of Buckingham Palace was scarce. It was here that Hermione liked to relax as she sifted through her new Intel. Like her best friend Harry, Hermione had chosen to become an Auror for her career outside of Hogwarts. Harry and Her were hired and partnered soon after the Great War and the defeat of Voldemort. 

It was the trio working together, and their undying love for each other that eventually was the dark lord's undoing. The trio of spells thrown at the wizard had proven too much for him and his entire soul collapsed in upon itself. Since then Harry and Hermione moved on to become Aurors and Ron followed his dream and started working for the Chudley Cannons. Eventually his hard work paid off and now he was one of the team's most successful coaches.

The years had been hard after the Great War. Many families needed to recover and mourn the loss of their loved ones. Hermione herself lost both her parents when deatheaters killed them using the killing curse. Time had helped to dampen the pain of that loss, but Hermione could not go one day without visiting their graves and kissing each tombstone with sadness.

Time had matured her young and awkward body, and now instead of that gawky bushy haired teen she was tall and curvy. Her hair tamed down slightly, but she decided to adopt shorter razor cropped hair that seemed to frame her face perfectly. Fernando, her muggle hairdresser, was amazing with his blade and he was always insisting that she add chunks of reds and blonds into her cinnamon coloured mane. Before her parents passed away, they fitted Hermione with some veneers on her teeth so that instead of looking more like a rabbit, she had a beautiful and almost perfect smile. Most people that knew Hermione for most of her life would say that they never would have thought that she would turn out as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside.

Had Hermione known how this day would have turned out, she would not have stepped foot outside her door this day, but then it would have only delayed the inevitable. As she finished her reviewing she decided it was time to head home for the day. The crowd around her had thinned and at points within the park she was quite alone. It was these moments that Hermione loved to listen to the birds singing and the ducks quacking off in the distance. But this day there was another noise that suddenly disturbed her peaceful thoughts, and when she suddenly opened her eyes she was only able to see a dark masked figure standing in front of her. Before she could scream a hand enclosed her mouth from behind and a cloth rested over her mouth and nose. Sleep. It called to her like a soothing lullaby and soon she was unable to resist.

* * *

He sat in his room, brooding over how he came to be in this tiny 8x8 room. It was a normal day really. He was in Diagon alley to buy some supplies for some potions that he was working on. '_Arrogant and dumb._' That was the only way that he could describe himself that day. _'What a moron I was_.' He cursed to himself. 

There was a beautiful woman that had caught his eye. She had smiled to him and crooked her finger and within a flash he was there almost panting by her side. "You look like the sort that could show me a good time." She had purred to him in a husky voice that sent shivers down his spine.

"I could definitely strive to give you more than just a good time." He had replied back in a silky tone.

Her smile made his mind reel and he allowed himself to be led as if there was a leash attached to his neck and she was holding its handle. "Well then come then my pet. Please me and your reward will be great indeed."

Oh that voice held such sexual promise he groaned to himself. Suddenly he had realized that they were no longer in Diagon Alley, but instead in muggle London. "Where are we going?" He had inquired.

"I want you all to myself and I know just the place to go for that." She purred. He had thought of his own home at that moment and how private that location would be, but something about how she spoke to him made him not want to question her motives.

"It is not much farther now. Ah yes, in fact here we are." She turned to him and he looked around in confusion. They were in an empty alley, surrounded by garbage bins. "Here?" He had inquired stupidly.

"Oh yes, here." She purred and when she smiled he suddenly realized his stupidity. Her fangs had lengthened and she looked dark and menacing but suddenly he felt someone grab him from behind and a cloth pressed up against his nose and mouth. He fought desperately against the steel grip that held him from behind and the last thing he could remember was the vampire's wicked laughter.

Now here he sat on a cot in his 8x8 cell. It was not your conventional jail though. No in fact every wall of it was made of a sort of glass. He had tried many times to throw the sparse furniture of his cell at it, but nothing would break it. It was weird though how the washroom had walls, but they were made of the same sort of material. Perhaps they wanted to be cruel and tease them with the idea of some sort of privacy.

Cells surrounded him. His seemed to be the middle of three rows. The cells directly across from him on either side were both occupied. One with a mere child, and the other with a man that looked about to breath his last breath he was so old looking. The cell on his one side had another angry looking man inside and it was with great surprise that he realized that the man was a known deatheater. The cell to his other side though remained empty until the movement down the aisle alerted him.

The afternoon shift of jailors came down the aisle dragging an unconscious figure of a woman. She was slumped over so that her short hair covered her face and it wasn't until the two men threw her down onto the cot and her face was revealed that the man's eyes widened.

'_Merlin_.' He thought to himself. '_Hermione Granger_'


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione groaned loudly and held her head as she came out of her drug induced sleep. She felt as if she had been slugged in the head repeatedly and only felt worse when she moved to sit up. It took her awhile to be able to open her eyes without her head feeling like it would split in two, but when she was able to she sat up and finally looked around her new surroundings.

Her dark eyes widened with horror as she realized she was in a glass encased room. The wall she sat and stared at was a dark glass that she figured probably held camera equipment behind it that she could not see. Looking to her right she noticed a cell across from her that sat empty, but the cell beside that one held an elderly man that looked about ready to join the next life. Looking to her left she saw the door to her cell first and then the empty cell beyond the aisle. Beside that empty cell was a mere child and anger flared up within her.

Her eyes moved back around to her own cell and she noticed the clear walls that surrounded the toilet and sink and wondered what the sense was of them. _'Looks like someone has a real fetish for voyeurism_.' She thought to herself. When she went to turn her head around to look behind her, she suddenly noticed something odd. Her hand drifted up to her neck and it was at this moment that she felt the silver ring that surrounded her neck. Her fingers traced all around the circlet around her throat, but there was no clasp it seemed. There wasn't even a groove to indicate where the necklace would have been joined in fact. The only thing that she felt was the little ring that dangled slightly so that it rested at the base of her throat.

'_What kind of sick fucking place have I been brought to?_' Hermione thought to herself.

After a few moments of shocked realization of her captivity, she decided to turn around and see the cell directly beside her. When she finally turned around she saw the back of a man slouched over and leaning back against the wall. His clothing looked much like the ones that doctor's wear in the ER and she wondered if he was a medic that had been kidnapped. As if sensing someone was watching him the man turned around and his eyes rested on hers, giving her a piercing look before he turned all the way around to look at her.

Hermione gasped loudly and fell off her bed in surprise and suddenly she couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes. "Draco…" She said in a shaky voice.

* * *

Draco saw her mouth his name and he then said hers aloud to show that they would not be able to hear each other. Each cell was soundproof, making anything but visual communication impossible. Her dark eyes settled onto the silver collar that was similar to the one around his neck, and her fingertips touched her own as if a deeper realization of her situation suddenly dawned on her.

What the hell was this place would be the question on her mind right now. He knew this because he wondered the very same thing himself. He had no awareness of how long he had been in the facility. It felt like a week, but for all he knew it could be a day or two. Eventually he learned a little bit of what he was here for, but still was unsure as to why and to what purpose.

Seeing Hermione was a comfort to him really. She was someone from his past, and even though they were enemies in school they had come to know each other better shortly after the Great War. Draco had become a spy for the order to help take down Voldemort and when Hermione learned this she had apologized for some of the more hurtful remarks she had made to him in the past. He had been shocked that day because he was the last person on earth that deserved that apology from her. There were so many hurtful things that he had said to her in the past, but the two of them agreed to reintroduce themselves to each other and start fresh.

They had been lovers for a while after that. The two of them had grown so close and she had helped him when he was having difficulties with some of the new potions that he was working on. He was an apprentice to one of the more well known potions masters and had planned on becoming a master himself. It was thanks to Severus Snape and Hermione that his dream had come true. These days he had devoted his life's work to discovering a potion that would help to heal those that had been damaged by one too many Cruciatus Curses.

Surprisingly enough it was Neville Longbottom that had saved Draco's life. His own father had escaped from Azkaban and realized that his own son was a traitor to the Dark Lord and was just about to cast the killing curse on him. He was too slow though for when his body fell in front of Draco, it was to reveal a shaking Longbottom with his wand outstretched and his mouth open from the final cry of the killing curse. That day forged a strong friendship between Neville and Draco and it was his wish to do something in return to the man who saved his life. To wake up Neville's parents from their insanity would be a gift that could be possible, if he could just brew the right potion.

Draco turned towards the wall of his cell and sat cross-legged on his cot. He lifted his hand and placed his palm against the glass. It took a moment before Hermione gave him a sad look and climbed back onto her own cot. Her hand raised and pressed against the glass. The two looked at each other and tried to remember what it felt like to feel the heat of their palms touching. Whatever would happen, they would be there together as friends to help each other through it.

* * *

"Fizzing Whizbees". An authoritative voice stated and the gargoyle statue moved to reveal the staircase of the headmaster's office. The man climbed the steps two at a time and when he approached the familiar desk his voice was stern but held a hint of worry in it. "Albus, we need to talk."

The chair turned and the headmaster looked at the tall man standing in front of him. The sparkle that seemed forever in the older man's eyes seemed dulled and instead only worry and fear filled them at the moment. "Hello Harry." Dumbledore said softly.

"I'm sure you know why I'm here, and I need your help along with the rest of the order." Harry commanded.

The headmaster nodded his head. "I have already called the rest of the order and a meeting will be held at Grimmald Place this evening."

Harry relaxed slightly as if one hurtle had been jumped, but it was only a moments relief that he felt. "Do any of the others know at the moment?"

"Well Severus is not very happy at the moment. Draco has been missing for over a week now, and with Hermione added to the number I fear that this has gone beyond just mere worry." Albus said.

"There is something bigger going on here and I have a feeling that this has nothing to do with renegade Deatheaters." Harry stated.

The headmaster nodded his assent. "I would have to agree with you there. I believe that we have acquired a new enemy to be wary of, but who that is what we really need to find out now and what is it they want."

"Percy has assigned several of the Aurors to the job, but he has made me the one in charge since Hermione disappeared and given me leave to do anything to find her." Harry sighed and sat down in the chair across from Dumbledore. "I just hope she is ok." His voice sounded weak to his own ears and Harry fought the tears that threatened to spill.

Hermione was his best friend and he loved her like no other in this world. She was his sister and soul mate. They were not lovers. They had kissed once and knew at once that what they had was not a romantic love, but instead a family love. She was a large part of who he was that if he lost her now he didn't think he would be able to survive.

"Hermione is a strong, resourceful and smart witch Harry. She will be able to handle her own until we can find her. We will get her away from whoever is holding her." Albus tried to comfort the young wizard as best he could.

"Do you think their disappearance is tied together?" Harry inquired, curious as to what his old headmaster thought of the matter.

"I don't know, but if we find her I hope we find him." Was all that Dumbledore replied before being interrupted.

"Potter! I hope you have more information on what is going on. I demand to be filled in completely on the situation."

Harry turned around to see Severus Snape's stern face looking down at him as he crossed the room.

"I'm going to fill everyone in on what we know this evening at the meeting Severus. We will find them." And having said this Harry was determined to make it a true statement. They would find them if they had to torture it out of many people be they wizards or muggles. Someone had dared to cross Harry Potter's path and Harry would be sure to do some heavy damage to whoever was responsible.


	3. Chapter 3

Her palm was raised to the glass and she tried desperately to feel the heat from his hand. She wondered if he had the answers to her questions. What the hell were they doing here? How long had Draco been captive here? She closed her eyes for a moment and prayed that they would get out of here. Surely Harry would get help and try and find them. As she opened her eyes she noticed movement down the aisle between the cells and she dropped her hand suddenly. She wasn't sure if she wanted anyone to know that Draco and her were close just in case it would be used against them.

Two guards led the way as a man walked behind them. The way he was dressed was casual, a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt that buttoned up. The top of the shirt was open slightly to reveal a muscular chest beneath with a thin layer of chest hair. When she took in his facial features she would only describe him best as a Brad Pitt clone. The guards stopped in front of her cell and opened the door.

Hermione stood up and backed against the wall of her cell. Her mind started to concentrate on what spell would be best to throw. She had long since mastered the art of wandless magic and it had made her life so much less complicated to wave a wand about. When the door opened she muttered softly, "Stupify" but instead of hitting the guards with her spell she cried out loudly and collapsed down to her knees as the collar around her neck sent bolts of electricity down her spine.

When her mind cleared she heard the soft laughter from the Brad Pitt wannabe and she lifted her head to shoot a scowl at him.

"Well my dear I see you have come to realize that your spells are no longer yours to control." The man purred.

She gave him a confused look and her fingers wrapped around the collar and she tried to pull it off without success.

"I have brought some new clothing for you to wear. What you have on is just not acceptable." A smirk started to form on his perfect features.

She looked down at herself and realized for the first time that her clothing was indeed tattered and dirty, as if she had been sent rolling down a hill while she was unconscious. Who knows, perhaps they wanted to see what would happen if they did so while she was knocked out. '_Sick Fucks.'_ Was all she could think to herself.

The man held out his arm and she saw a bag dangling from his fingers. "Put these on."

"Why the hell should I do anything for you." She spat out at him.

The guards started to step forward but the man lifted his arm, stopping the two burly men in their tracks. Mr. Perfect took two steps towards her and placed the bag onto her bed before kneeling down in front of her. His hand reached up and touched the dangling ring that rested at the base of her neck. The backs of his fingers brushed up along her collarbone and she tried desperately not to recoil and vomit right there and then. Instead her eyes hardened and her chin raised in defiance.

She heard a soft click suddenly and when she looked down she saw a thin silver chord hanging down from the silver collar around her neck. '_What the fuck was this?' _She thought to herself and a quick glace over to Draco let her know this was not good. Suddenly she turned towards the Brad Pitt wannabe and fear filled her previously defiant eyes.

"You will do everything that I ask of you my dear, and eventually I won't even need this little thing to do the trick with. Of course maybe in the future you may enjoy using it in other activities." He leered at her for a moment before continuing. "Now, because you have disobeyed me I'm afraid that I must punish you."

His hand slipped down to the end of the chain and it was then she noticed the little buttons that were barely noticeable on the leashes handle. His thumb depressed one of the buttons and she couldn't contain the scream that filled her lungs. Pain equivalent to the Cruciatus curse racked her body and she collapsed down onto the ground, curling herself into a ball as she screamed in agony.

The pain seemed to go on forever, but eventually it stopped and she twitched on the ground in front of the kneeling man. He dropped the chain and let his hands go around her arms, helping her up gently until she was on her knees again. Then he gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry to put you through that. A beauty such as you should never have to endear such pain, but I know that you need to learn not to disobey me. As long as you do what I ask of you, I will not do that to you again. Now please, change into the clothing I have brought for you. I look forward to seeing how you look in them. I know you will be beautiful."

He helped her up into a standing position and reached over to grab the bag. Turning back towards her he held the bag out to her. She grudgingly took the handle and waited. It took a moment to realize that he would not leave until she changed into the outfit right then and there so she sighed and started to turn around until his hand stopped her.

"No my dear, I would like to watch you. It will be very enjoyable to see your body move as you change." He purred and then sat down on her bed.

Her teeth made an audible grinding noise in annoyance and she could only do as he asked unless she wanted to be put through the pain of the damned collar again. With an angry expression on her face she lifted the dirty t-shirt up and off before looking into the bag. Her eyes lifted back up to him with disbelieve.

"You can't be serious..this isn't a fucking top." She growled as she lifted up what looked like a cross between a bustier and a bra. It was soft brown leather and laced up in the front. "You have some fetish for Xena or something?" She said as she shook her head.

"I like leather on a woman." He said with a chuckle. "Go on, take the bra off and put it on."

Hermione tried not to blush. She was definitely not a virgin but she was not an exhibitionist and did not enjoy stripping in front of ex lovers and strangers. Her hands shook as she took off her bra and then slipped on the cursed bustier. When she tied it up she realized that it acted very much like a bra and kept her chest nice and snug against her body, but she also realized that the top of it scooped down enough that her breasts nearly burst out from it.

Reaching into the bag again she took out the pair of jeans and large brown belt. She slipped off her own comfortable slacks and went to slip into the jeans when the man stopped her as he cleared his throat.

"I thought you would appreciate clean underwear. They are in the bag." He said.

She looked back into the bag and was about to say that there was no underwear in there when she noticed the tiny piece of material inside. '_Good Lord this can't be happening.'_ She groaned. As she lifted up the tiny scrap of material she shook her head. "This is buttfloss, not underwear. I have no desire to feel like I'm in a state of forever having a wedgie thank you very much." She growled.

His eyes flickered a moment and then drifted to the end of the chain that hung down her body. "Oh?" He simply said and Hermione's anger only increased.

"Fuck you." She growled as she pulled down her nice comfortable bikini briefs and then she slipped on the little triangle of cloth that was wrongly named underwear.

When she pulled the pants up her slender legs, she realized that they were hip huggers. Her entire belly was now exposed and she was never one to show off that flesh unless she was being intimate with a man. Hermione had taken to working out and her stomach was flat and her abs showed just enough to still look soft and feminine.

Having done up her pants she stood there with her hand on her hip and an angry look upon her face. The man stood up and let his gaze drift up and down her body. "Very nice..very nice indeed." He stepped in close and his nose drifted close to her neck as if to take in her scent. His body pressed close to hers and Hermione fought not to move. Her eyes flickered over towards Draco and she saw the anger in his eyes, but he was smart enough not to kick up a fuss.

"You are intoxicating my dear. Very intoxicating." Having said this, the man simply turned around and left her cell. The guards gave her a dirty look for a moment before turning around and exiting the cell and locking her door. They followed the Brad Pitt wannabe until they were out of sight.

"Who the fuck was that?" Hermione said as she looked over at Draco. '_God dammit'_ she thought. This place had made her curse more than she had in her life.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the nice review lee74. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. It seems to be a plot bunny that just won't go away with me and needed to be written. I'm getting ahead of myself though and still have to see where it all leads me. chuckles

* * *

Draco tried not to show his anger as he watched the man with Hermione. When the man left the cell leaving behind a very bewildered witch he watched as she turned to him and spoke. From what he could manage to read from her lips she was wondering who the man was. Draco was not quite sure who he was as it was the first time he had seen the guy, but he did know that all of them had very similar if somewhat different visits.

Draco's own 'partner' as she liked to describe herself was the very same vampire that had lured him out of Diagon Alley. The child across from his cell had a very motherly like woman who visited her. The old man behind him had a younger woman that acted like a grandchild would and the deatheater beside him had some thug as his partner. For some reason it was thought that these partners would be ideal for the captured witches and wizards, but Draco knew that no matter what they would all still feel like captives.

He simply shrugged at Hermione's question and tried to give her a sympathetic look. To try and make her feel better he looked down at her outfit and gave her one of his trademark smirks. At first she looked angry but then he saw the smile form that eventually turned into giggles. The witch shook her head with disbelieve before climbing into the bed. She looked around as she rested her hands in her lap, but he watched curiously as one hand started doing some odd motions.

He furrowed his brow as he looked down at her hand, but tried not to make it too obvious. She fisted her hand and waited till he looked up at her with a questioning look. Her lips moved as if the position of her hand meant something. He wasn't good at reading lips so he was left clueless as she continued on. The next motion of her hand was to hold it up showing her palm. Her fingers were all straight except her thumb, which was laying across her palm. She mouthed something different this time before repositioning her hand. This time she curled her fingers so that her hand looked almost like a C, this time Draco recognized the motion of her mouth. C, the position of her hand was a C.

Hermione nodded slightly as she recognized Draco's look. This time she repositioned her hand so that all but her index finger curled over and touched her thumb. Her index finger stood straight up and Draco thought it looked like a small letter d. He said d quietly and she nodded. The alphabet. She was doing the alphabet with her hand, so the other two hand signs must have been a and b. He mimicked the sign her hand made and mouthed d to her. She smiled brightly.

'_Bloody Brilliant'_ he thought to himself. They would be able to communicate without trying to read lips, instead they would just use their hands. So it was that Draco started to learn the basics of muggle sign language.

* * *

"Not only are Draco and Hermione missing, but there are others as well." Harry said to the crowd that sat in the living room of Grimmauld place.

"Do you have any idea who is behind this yet?" Ginny inquired.

"No, but we know that this is not Deatheater activity. It seems we have gained a new enemy and we need to discover who they are before anything happens to Draco and Hermione." Harry looked grim but determined.

"I will go to Hermione's to see if there has been any activity there since she disappeared." Sirius said.

Harry nodded to his Godfather. "Ginny I want you to go with him. Ron, Remus and myself will all go to the Malfoy Mansion to see if there are any clues there. Here is a list of the other missing wizards and witches. The rest of you decide where you will be going and be sure to take a partner with you. We are all vulnerable it seems when we are alone, as that is when everyone has been taken so far."

Everyone nodded in understanding and Dumbledore stood up when Harry was finished. "We must all keep a look out for any strange activity. If anyone notices anything out of place at any time, make a note of it. Perhaps it may very well be the key we need to solve this mystery. Professor Snape, I will have someone fill in for you during your absence to teach potions and I will cover for your DADA classes Remus."

Both professors nodded towards the headmaster and the room filled with chatter as their meeting was adjourned. Ginny walked towards Sirius. "When do you want to go to Hermione's place Sirius?"

"Immediately." Sirius stated with a grim and worried look upon his face. He owed Hermione so much. She had saved his life during her third year, and yet again when she discovered the mystery behind the veil. The years that had passed by had only deepened his respect for his Godson's best friend. He felt almost shameful in a way because his friendship and respect for her had turned into something deeper and he would never admit it aloud. To do so he felt would risk his friendship with her as well as his relationship with his Godson.

Those two seemed like a perfect couple really. He always wondered why they were not together, and he felt that it was perhaps her desire to be a professional first. When that desire waned perhaps she would become Mrs. Hermione Potter. He knew that she would never wish to be Mrs. Hermione Black, who would? He had a shattered past that had affected him in many ways. Sure his physical appearance had been restored to a devilishly handsome look, but emotionally he was scared very deeply. It was a rare morning that he did not wake up screaming from a nightmare.

"Ok, I'm ready whenever you are." Ginny said interrupting his thoughts.

Sirius nodded. "We will apparate there and then I will use my animagus form. I should hopefully pick up a scent that will help us."

"Sounds good." She said with a sad smile. "I hope we find something soon. I hate to think of what Hermione must be going through."

A muscle tensed in Sirius's jaw and Ginny swore she could hear the grinding of teeth. With silent appraisal she watched Harry's Godfather and wondered if there was something else to the relationship between him and Hermione.

"I will meet you there." She said and with a pop she was gone. Sirius quickly followed, determined that they would find Hermione or die trying.

* * *

Note: A website to see the alphabet in sign language can be found pretty easily if you look it up in google. 


	5. Chapter 5

To dancing in rain I'm really glad you are enjoying the story so far. :) I'm having a blast writing it. For the question about the veil, I'm unsure of whether or not I will touch on it and explain some of what happened, or if I want to make it a prequel to this story in the future. I haven't thought out all the details on what Hermione did exactly, but I have thoughts for sure on it. As for what is going on in this story..heh I suppose you will have to wait and see what they want with the witches and wizards. :) Some of Hermione's thoughts will be coming up soon, so you will get to know more about what she thinks of Sirius soon. For now I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Only a few characters will be mine in this story, otherwise the rest belong to JK.

* * *

Hermione was pleased with Draco's progress in learning the alphabet in sign language. The two of them were communicating with simple words here and there, but were careful not to look as if they were doing more than keeping each other entertained. Soon hopefully though they would be able to talk more about what was happening to them both. 

Hermione turned her attention to the chain that hung down her neck. The man had left it on her and she wondered if that was intentional or a mistake. Her guess was that it was intentional. First it would degrade her, making her feel like nothing more than an animal that is meant to be led. Secondly it roused her curiosity so that she was quick to learn that either the leash was only in tune to him in particular, or that there was a trick to turning it on. She had of course tried the two buttons on the handle to see if they would work, but there was no pain as a result.

She also learned that there must be a certain trick to attaching and detaching them because there was no clasp to be seen on it. Hermione made a mental note to watch very carefully if she saw anyone else using it.

As she flipped over the handle she noticed a small bit of writing. She looked closer at it and read Crane Industries. Dropping the handle she furrowed her brow slightly. She recognized the name from somewhere and dug through her mind to figure out what it was that she remembered it from. Not triggering on it immediately, she decided to store the information for later hoping that it would come back to her at some point.

Movement drew her attention at the end of the aisle and Hermione tensed thinking it was the man from earlier. Her body only relaxed slightly when she saw it was a woman. The woman strode with confidence until she reached Draco's cell. Waving her hand slightly, two burly guards jumped at her command and opened the door to let her in.

Hermione watched as the woman's body language turned from professional to sexual and she was pretty sure that the woman's voice was much like a purr right about that moment. Her gaze drifted over to Draco who had stood up and looked resigned to whatever was to happen next. The woman lifted a silver chain up in her hands and Hermione tried to focus on the clasp. She sighed as she realized it was obscured from her view.

With a slight tug on the chain the woman led Draco out of his cell and back the way she had come from.

* * *

It was nighttime and Hermione's house was dark and empty. Ginny and Sirius entered through the back entrance and listened for any sound of intrusion. Hearing nothing Sirius gave Ginny a quiet pointed look and she nodded in response. Sirius watched as the young witch left the kitchen and headed into the dining room before he shifted into his animagus form. When he was fully shifted he shook out his fur and stretched his muscles. He put his nose to the ground to sniff around, trying to pick up any strange scents. 

Having found nothing in the kitchen, Sirius followed Ginny's path knowing that the witch would keep her eyes open for anything suspicious so he could concentrate on the smells. Suddenly his hackles rose and a low growl rumbled through his throat instinctively.

There was someone else in the house with them. Padding quietly into the living room Sirius looked around before lifting his nose to the air. There, he could smell the foreign scent now, but it was the noise that disturbed him most. Ginny. He was worried now for the witch. Swiftly he ran through the room and came to the front hall. Looking around he couldn't see Ginny, but his nose told him that she had gone upstairs and so had the stranger's scent.

How many were there he wondered to himself. He could pick up at least 2 different people other than Ginny. He had to go help her now. Sirius bounded up the stairs and he tried to contain the growl that wanted to break the silence surrounding him.

Nose to the ground he moved silently in the hall until he came to what he could tell was Hermione's bedroom. Her scent was thick in his nose now and the animal in him reacted immediately to the one that he wanted as his mate. He opened his mouth and the scent could touch his tongue now, tasting her was even better and he wondered what her lips would be like under his.

Sirius shook his head to clear his thoughts. There were at least two people that he needed to take care of and he was filling his head with thoughts of kissing Hermione. What kind of person was he? With a soft sigh he crept forward and twitched his ears. Whoever it was had gone silent, and the fact that he could not hear Ginny disturbed him greatly. He had not even heard a struggle.

He poked his head through the door and nearly recoiled from the strong alien scents within. They shouldn't have entered her sanctuary, it only made Sirius's blood boil. This time the growl escaped this throat and he suddenly sprung into action. He had taken one leap into the room and yelped as he felt a sudden sting in his hind quarters. He wheeled around as he landed and his mouth clasped around a dart, yanking it out of his hindquarters before seeing the man hiding behind the door holding up a gun.

He barked loudly and went to lunge at him but suddenly his head started to spin and he stumbled sideways a few steps. Sirius tried to shake his head but it only made it spin worse. His vision started to blur and he started to see things in double, like the two Ginny's asleep beside the bed. His knees buckled on him and he tried to look around to see the other person. There by the curtain he saw a man smiling broadly and rubbing his hands together as if he had just found a most precious thing.

He slumped his head to the floor and tried to fight the sleep that wanted to overtake him, but he was not strong enough and soon he was breathing steadily in deep drugged slumber.

"A dog. She has a dog does she? Well I think this may make a certain witch very happy. We will take them both. My witch will have to be most grateful if I bring her pet as a present for her." Malcolm purred.

He had yet to really get to know the witch he had been paired with, the only real thing that he had on her was that her name was Hermione Granger, she seemed to love reading and that she apparently owned a dog. Malcolm watched as Douglas moved to the unconscious girl on the floor.

"Do you think she is one of them?" He inquired as he reached down and pulled the girl up into his arms.

"Probably yes seeing as she knows Hermione." Malcolm responded.

"Maybe I'll get a reward for helping to get her you think?" Douglas said hopefully. Malcolm smiled at his friend. "I'll be putting in a good word for you."

"Thanks." Douglas replied.

Soon, Malcolm thought to himself. Soon they would become one of the most powerful corporations in the world and it would all be thanks to the company's prized invention. His fingers slid over the silver bracelet that sat upon his wrist. The witch thought it was the leash that controlled the collar, he could tell that by the way he had watched her examining the chain that hung between her breasts. Malcolm suppressed a groan as he thought about Hermione's naked body. No in fact it was the bracelet that controlled both leash and collar and it was what tied Hermione to Malcolm.

"Get her to the van and then help me with this dog. This fucker is huge." Malcolm grumbled as he approached the black dog on the ground.

"Did you shoot it with enough Tranq?" Malcolm asked cautiously.

"Yeah, the thing should be out cold for a few hours at least." Douglas responded.

"Good. Lets get moving then. We will come back to search the house later. I want some of those books of hers. A couple look like they could answer a bunch of questions we have been wanted answers for." Malcolm stated.

Douglas nodded and took the sleeping witch out of the house while Malcolm waited.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you very much to cookiedoughicecream and dancing in rain for your reviews. I'm really glad you are enjoying this story. It seems to be poring out of me at the moment and it is all still popping into my brain. This is a good thing as it seems my updates can remain frequent. lol I hope this keeps up! I hate writers block.

Hope you enjoy this update.

'**Bold Text' **– represents what is being signed in this chapter.

* * *

Hermione paced inside her cell, the feeling of the walls were really starting to get on her nerves. At least when Draco was in the cell next to her she could distract herself from the thought of being a prisoner. Back and forth, back and forth again and again she paced like a caged lioness. She really understood what those poor animals could feel like in muggle zoos now. 

Her hand slapped the door of her prison and she rested her forehead against it for a few moments before looking up and catching the eye of the young girl across from Draco's cell. The young girl's eyes lit up and with a smile she linked her two index fingers together released them and then linked them together again.

It took Hermione a mere second to realize what the girl was doing. Friend, the sign for friend was what the young girl's fingers were signing. Hermione fisted her hand and bobbed it up and down before repeating the same sign. **'Yes, Friend'** it meant. The young girl could read sign language, and not just the simple alphabet but the entire language Hermione realized as the girl continued to speak with her hands.

'**My brother is deaf so I know how to speak with you.' **The young girl signed.

'**Are your family muggles?' **Hermione asked, she of course had to spell out the word muggle as there really wasn't a sign for it.

'**Yes, I just found out this year that I was a witch. It is my first year at Hogwarts.' **The girl replied, using both the full language and alphabet to convey her thoughts.

'**My name is Hailey, and you are the famous Hermione Granger. I have always wanted to meet you.' **Hailey said.

'**I wish I could have met you under better circumstances. How long have you been here?'** Hermione inquired.

'**I came just before the man beside you. The woman that comes to me expects me to do spells for her. I try to tell her I don't know many, but I don't think she believes me. She is a muggle, they are all muggles except…' **Hailey paused in her signing.

'**Except who?'** Hermione asked.

'**The woman that took that man away. She is something different. I don't know what exactly, but I don't think she is a witch and I really don't think she is a muggle.' **Hailey answered.

'**What makes you say that?'** Hermione inquired.

'**She killed one of the guards with her bare hand. I don't think muggles are strong enough to do that. All the guards here are big.' **Hailey said with a grimace and tears shining in her eyes.

'**I just want to go home.' **Hailey signed and the tears slid down her cheeks.

'**I know sweeting. I will try and find a way for us, and my friends will be searching I'm sure.' **Hermione comforted.

'**Even Harry Potter?'** The young witch signed with a hopeful look.

'**Especially Harry Potter.'** Hermione signed with a smile. Hailey brightened up a bit and Hermione told the witch that they should keep their signing down to a minimum so that no one got suspicious.

* * *

Draco groaned as the guards dragged him down the hall behind the vampire. She had been especially hard on him this session as he refused to comply with her wishes. There was no way in hell that he would help the bitch and the company that she worked for. He would rather die. 

He tried to look up when he heard her voice call out to someone, but they were blurred somewhat in a painful haze. They stopped in the middle of the hallway and his head lolled back and forth. The vampire was pressed close to a man and her voice was low and seductive as she spoke with him.

"He looks like shit Miranda. I trust you are having fun with him." The man spoke.

Miranda purred, "Oh yes he is indeed fun to torture. He plays the part of martyr so well. Lucius is rolling in his grave I'm sure."

The man's face darkened at the reminder of Draco's father. "We will have our revenge my love and soon all of them will be out of our way. Then there will be no one in the way of our plans." His laughter was dark and menacing and the vampire shivered in delight.

"Will I get to see you tonight my love?" Miranda asked with a pout.

"Yes you will my dear, after I get Willows out of that damn cell. Those incompetent fools put a collar on one of my best and I will not stand for that." The man growled.

Miranda nodded. "Until tonight then my love."

The two figures embraced in the hallway and when they finished the vampire growled at the guards to follow her, leaving behind her lover.

* * *

"Dammit." Harry muttered. "There is nothing here. This house hasn't been touched at all since Draco disappeared. The house elves have seen nothing suspicious and there is not a single thing out of place." 

Harry was trying desperately not to let his emotions get away with him and treat this case like any of his others, but the fact that it was Hermione that had gone missing threw him entirely. Ron was Harry's best friend, had been his first wizard friend from Hogwarts and the two of them were tight as two male friends could be. Hermione on the other hand was the other half of his soul. He knew that many of his relationships with other witches had failed due to Hermione, but none of them were worth losing what the both of them had.

They were not romantic at all with each other, in fact the one time they had tried it was like he had been kissing his sister. He thought back to that day. It had been shortly after they graduated. The two of them had landed their first jobs in the Ministry at the same time, each of them being mentored by top of the line Aurors. They were thrilled and excited and after a night's celebration they toppled into Harry's apartment laughing and hugging each other.

"Mione, have you ever wondered about the two of us." Harry asked her in a suddenly sober tone.

He watched her pretty features as they thought very hard on the subject. "I suppose I have Harry. I don't know, I feel like if I ever lost you a part of me would die." She said in a soft voice.

"I know, that is how I feel." It was then that Harry leaned forward and kissed his friend softly. They deepened the kiss and after a few minutes they parted and smiled.

"You felt nothing didn't you." Harry asked.

"Nothing. You?" Hermione inquired.

"Nothing." He gave her a sheepish grin. "In fact I think it gave me the heeby jeebies, like kissing a sister."

She had burst out laughing at the comment and the two of them fell onto the floor of the hall. Tears were streaming down the cheeks of both of them from laughing so hard. Hermione snuggled into his side and she looked at him.

"Harry I really do think you are a part of my soul though." She said.

"Soulmates. They don't have to be lovers you know. I think it is just the reunion of two souls that were meant to be bound together, whether it be in friendship or love." Harry often tended to get philosophical when he drank.

"Soulmates, for now and forever more." Hermione stated.

Harry sighed loudly and sat down in the chair by Draco's desk. Girlfriends just never understood his and Hermione's relationship, but one day he would find someone special.

Hermione, the thought of his friend in danger angered him to the core. Harry picked up a book off the desk and threw it across the room, narrowly missing Ron as he walked in.

"Blimey, you trying to take my head off mate?" Ron asked with a squeak.

"Sorry Ron. I'm just pissed off though, where the hell can she be?" Harry leaned forward and slid his hands through his black hair.

"Maybe Padfoot and Ginny found something. We should head back to Grimmauld to find out." Ron said.

Harry nodded. "Let's get Remus and go." Both wizards left the room in search of their old DADA professor.


	7. Chapter 7

dancing in rain - Thanks again for the review. I'm glad you are enjoying this at the beginning of your days. heh I think you may like this chapter.

For anyone else that is reading this and haven't reviewed, I hope you are enjoying it and for all future readers, don't hesitate to review. I enjoy reading them all greatly.

All the same legal disclaimers are the same so on with the story.

* * *

Hermione leaned against the wall of her cell as she sat on her bed. Boredom was a terrible thing that led only to thinking about the things that you didn't necessarily want to dwell on. In fact the thoughts that were in Hermione's mind were those that made her happy and yet sad at the same time.

Her friends and how she missed them so. Would she ever get to see them again? Did they even miss her at all? It was moments like these that you wondered just how much you meant in someone's life. She was even questioning hers and Harry's relationship, but eventually gave her head a shake and gave herself a stern talking to.

"Of course Harry would be looking for you." She growled to herself.

Harry was so much to her and it had often led to many breakups between herself and her boyfriends. Draco and herself came to the realization that he needed someone that needed him most in the world, and even though Harry and him were on fairly good terms these days it still rankled him that Harry and her were closer than they would ever have been.

One of the only people in her life that somewhat understood their connection was Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather. They had all thought he had been lost forever in the veil, but knowing how important Sirius was to Harry made Hermione all the more determined to solve it. She would have worked on it anyways because she just hated not knowing everything there was to know about something.

It turned out that the veil became an adventure of its own, putting herself, Ron and Harry in just as much danger as they had been fighting Voldemort. Through their adventure though Sirius and herself had become close friends. Hermione in fact had somewhat of a crush on her best friend's Godfather. He was spontaneous, fearless and bold yet quiet and loving. His countenance had changed drastically from her third year. He no longer looked ragged, thin and haggard. Instead he had gotten some meat onto his bones again and there was a sparkle of happiness that was non-existent since she had known him.

What would Harry say though if he knew about her crush on his Godfather? What would Sirius think? Hermione rubbed her face and blushed into her hands. He would think her a silly little chit, but would probably puff out his chest with arrogance. Hermione giggled softly. His pride and arrogance could even rival Draco's at times. Witches were fawning all over him, but yet he never really seemed interested in any of them. Was it only herself that saw reluctance in his eyes when it came to woman? Maybe he was gay and didn't want anyone to know.

Hermione sighed to herself. It would figure if he was gay. All the really good guys were gay. Well except for Harry, Ron, Remus, Dumbledore…Ok maybe all the good guys weren't gay, but the ones that Hermione normally fancied always seemed to be.

Movement down the aisle caught her attention and she looked around to see the woman striding along while Draco was being dragged by the guards. He looked like he had been put through a wringer and Hermione tried not to jump to her feet and pound on the walls of her cell. Instead she pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them while she glared at the woman standing impatiently by the door of Draco's cell.

The guards dragged the barely conscious form into the cell and threw him down onto the bed. He had rolled over in what looked like agony and Hermione wished she could spell away all of his pain. Instead she kept glaring at the woman who turned to her and gave her an evil smile. She couldn't help but frown when the woman winked and made a kissing motion with her lips at her before she turned around and left without a backwards glance.

When the guards locked up the cell and left Hermione moved closer to the glass to look at her friend. His head shifted and his body followed so that he was on his side facing her. His hand started to move, slowly but definitely forming the movements she had taught him earlier.

"**I'm ok. Just need rest." **He let his hand flop down and his eyes drifted shut.

Hermione watched him for a bit, her face filled with concern. What did they do to him to cause him so much pain? He must have fought the collar. Each question led up to the ultimate one. Why were they here and what did this Crane Industries want with them?

Movement caught her attention again, and this time it was two men coming down the aisle. One of them looked vaguely familiar to Hermione while the other was a complete stranger. They stopped at the cell directly beside Draco's and the strange man had one of the guards open the door. The two of them walked into the cell and the man inside of it jumped up and there was no question of the look of relief and happiness on his face.

What was going on down there she wondered to herself. The three men talked for a few minutes while Hermione tried to examine them all more carefully. The one that she did not recognize was rubbing a silver bracelet on his wrist anxiously while the other two seemed to carry themselves with a bold attitude. Funny how the prisoner seemed almost like the jailer at that moment she thought to herself. Finally after a few minutes of chatting the silver collar around the prisoner's neck sprang free and fell to the floor.

The man rubbed his neck with a blissful look and circled his head on his shoulders as if a two ton weight had been lifted off of him. The man that looked familiar handed the prisoner a wand and it seemed like slow motion for her as she watched the former prisoner point it at his capture. The man crumpled to the floor and Hermione knew without a doubt that the killing curse had been cast on him.

The two men spoke with each other for a minute and the former prisoner left happily while the other turned to face her cell. It took him a moment it seemed to recognize her and he gave her an evil grin. She watched as he exited the cell and called out to his friend, probably to say that he would follow soon. As he got closer to her cell Hermione suddenly registered who it was that was walking towards her. He called the guards and they opened the door to her cell allowing him to walk in.

Closing the door behind him he leaned back against it and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why if it isn't Hermione Granger. How lovely to see you here poppet."

"Not so lovely for me to see you Flint." Hermione growled. Marcus Flint was the most wanted Deatheater these days and Hermione and Harry had been searching for his whereabouts for years after Voldemort's demise. This was not really the position she wished to be in when she finally found the man.

"Well who would have thought you had a hot little body under all those clothes and robes you wear all the time Granger." Flint said gruffly as his eyes slid up and down her body. Hermione stood stiffly watching him with an angry look in her eyes. He moved a few steps towards her.

"So how do you like your new home?" He asked with a dark smirk.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and didn't say a word.

Flint chuckled. "Silence. I suppose it is the safe way to deal with your anger."

"So where is your collar Flint?" Hermione growled.

Marcus barked with laughter. "Oh that is rich. How do you think the stupid little muggles came up with this little piece here?" His fingers reached between her breasts and they slid under the chain that hung down from her neck. He let his fingers slide down the chain, dragging the back of his fingers down the front of her chest down to the top of her belly button.

"Huh..interesting. More of a rebel that we think as well it seems." His finger traced over the little hoop that was pierced through her bellybutton.

"So you helped to make the collar did you?" She asked trying to ignore his greasy fingers on her belly.

"My brilliant mind and their cute little invention was a perfect combination to help me fulfill my plans." He rubbed his hands down her sides as he spoke with her and Hermione suppressed the urge to vomit.

"And what about when they put that collar on you?" She inquired tartly.

"You think I haven't thought of that already? I may have had to repeat a year at Hogwarts Granger, but I'm not dumb when it comes to being a true Slytherin. My plans are moving along so wonderfully. First Draco and now you…soon you will all be out of my way. The funniest part about it is that it will be the very muggles you all wish to protect that will destroy you in the end." His voice was soft and smug as he talked to her.

"You may have us, but the other will be on to you by now. Good luck getting more." She growled in defiance.

"Oh I wouldn't speak so quickly if I were you." She watched as his eyes flicked past her and she turned around to look at the aisle behind her cell. There were two guards dragging an unconscious woman down to the empty cell directly behind her. When they tossed her on the bed she was able to see the pretty young face of one of her best friends.

Hermione gasped and turned around, placing her hands on the glass. She felt utterly helpless. "Ginny…" She whispered.

"You see, they will take you out one at a time and soon Dumbledore will have no one to fight for him. Then when he comes out of hiding we will be ready to destroy him and all that he stands for." Marcus said as he pressed himself against her back and spoke beside her ear.

Hermione whirled about and took 2 steps towards the door of her cell to get away from him when she saw Mr. Brad Pitt wannabe standing in the doorway.

"Hello Malcolm. I trust you are enjoying Miss Hermione Granger so far." She felt Flint press up against her back and his hand slid around her body so that his palm rubbed up her belly. He slid his hand high enough that his fingertips all pressed into the base of her left breast while his other hand slide around her left hip and down the front of her thigh.

"She does seem a tasty little piece. Perhaps I'll have to steal her from you at some point." Flint licked her ear and Hermione tried to pull away but he held her tightly.

"Yes, well until then Hermione and I have some training we have to do." Malcolm said with a tight voice.

"Hmmm shame that. I was just starting to enjoy my time with her here." He slithered around her and his hand reached up and grabbed her chin tightly. "Until we meet again." His fingers hurt as they dug into her face and pulled her towards him. He kissed her roughly and then pushed her away as he turned to leave. His shoulder knocked into Malcolm's and the muggle apologized and stepped out of his way.

The two of them watched as Marcus left the cell area and Hermione sighed with relief. "Thank you.." She started until Malcolm backhanded her in the face. Hermione was totally thrown off balance and she couldn't help it when she stumbled sideways a few steps and cracked her head against the wall of her cell. Her forehead split slightly and blood trickled down from the gash. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth as she righted herself and her fingers touched the side of her face.

"What the fuck was that for?" She yelled at him.

"That was for leading him on." Hermione watched as he rubbed his arms in frustration and it was then that she noticed the silver band around his wrist. Suddenly he took a step forward and grabbed the bottom of her leash and pressed one of the buttons. She screamed loudly as pain wracked through her body. When it all stopped there were tears streaming down her cheeks and her body twitched violently.

"And that was for embarrassing me. Now get up. You are coming with me." He yanked viciously on the chain. "Don't make me zap you again Hermione." He growled.

Fearing the pain again she tried to get up as quick as her body would allow. When she stood she followed behind him with her body slouched over and her mind raced about what would happen next to her.


	8. Chapter 8

Acdecnerd – Thanks so much for the review. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far.

Dancing in rain – I think you are right indeed that had it not been for that collar, Marcus would have been dead meat. I'm really glad you liked the last chapter. I'm not so sure about this one, it didn't come out as easy as the last one did. Heh

Again only a few of these characters have been made up by me. The rest belong to JK.

* * *

"They are what?!" Harry yelled.

Dumbledore sighed softly and couldn't hide the worried and pained expression on his face. Harry paced the floor furiously while Ron punched a wall. Remus however collapsed into the closest chair and closed his eyes as his hand swiped over his face.

"Ginny and Sirius are missing Harry. They never came back from searching Hermione's house. Severus went to see if they had found anything and all he found was an empty and unlocked house. We believe they must have been taken while searching the premises." Albus's voice was strained as he spoke.

"Dammit! This is all my fault! I assumed it would have been Malfoy's house that was the danger having once been a home of a deatheater. I sent Ginny and Sirius in there when I should have been there myself." Harry grabbed a paperweight off the desk near him and threw it across the room.

"This isn't your fault Harry." Remus spoke up. His voice was soft and soothing, trying to calm the young man down. This was by no means Harry's fault or even his own, but Remus couldn't help but feel the guilt he did. He should have spoken to Sirius earlier about what he knew, then perhaps both him and Hermione would be with them at this moment. The werewolf shook his head and pushed his guilty thoughts aside for the moment. They needed clarity for now and Remus was determined to figure things out.

"Lets go over some facts that we know Harry and then we might be able to pinpoint these people a little faster." Remus continued.

Harry took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. Finally he was able to speak again without hurtling another object within the room. "Ok, lets go over where all that we know are missing have disappeared from."

Albus let out a soft puff of air when Harry finally calmed and nodded as he sat down in a chair across from Remus. "Severus will you please go over the facts thus far."

The potions professor nodded. "One of our first year students was the first to be reported missing. Her parents had requested that she take a week off in the spring as one of her family members was getting married. Apparently she had gone out shopping one day in muggle London and never came home. Her parents immediately informed Dumbledore about her disappearance and we assured them that we would use every means necessary to find her."

"She is a promising young student. Reminds me somewhat of our Hermione she does." Albus said reflectively.

"The second reported missing was Hamish MacLeod. He is the grandfather of one of our current students residing in Hogwarts. He was taken from his home in muggle Edinborough and reported missing by his daughter who found his house in a shambles. Draco was supposed to meet me after his bought some supplies for potions that he had been working on, but he never arrived. He was in Diagon Alley I'm assuming because all his house elves reported that he had left the house by himself." Snape paused for a moment before continuing.

"Hermione we are a little unsure of exactly where he location was, but we do know that she was in Muggle London when taken. Sirius and Ginny have been taken from Hermione's house which is of course located in Muggle London. This is what we have at this moment." Severus let his steely gaze wander the room.

"All but Draco were taken from outside the wizarding community." Harry commented.

"I know Hamish in passing and knowing his background it is clear that all but Draco were born in muggle families." Remus said quietly.

Severus shook his head. "I don't think it would be possible that Deatheaters would work with Muggles, not when they want to destroy all of them. What about Draco, he isn't a muggle born and he certainly wouldn't have entered muggle London."

Albus steepled his fingers in thought. "Wouldn't they? It would be something that we would least suspect. Draco was a traitor to the deatheaters and I'm sure revenge would be sweet against both him and you Severus. As to his never entering muggle London, I think that just confirms that someone in the wizarding community is involved."

"And what is to stop them from killing the very muggles that are helping them when they have what they want?" Harry concluded.

"So we aren't just looking for Deatheaters. We are also looking for muggles, and the chances are they are all outside of the wizarding domain." Remus stated.

They all sat in silence for a few moments until Harry came alive. "Ok, we need to track where they have been taken somehow. Is there any sort of scrying spell or potion you think we can use in this case?"

"I think I might have an idea for a locator potion, but it would require someone to be captured." Severus stated.

"Well I'm sure that we are all on the list to be taken next so the one most likely to visit Muggle London would be the best one to go." Ron stated, speaking for the first time after hearing all the mind blowing facts.

"That would either be Remus or myself." Harry said.

"I'll go." Remus stated.

Harry was about to argue but Remus held up his hand. "We need you on the outside Harry. I expect you to come get us all out of wherever it is I'll be taken."

Harry nodded but it was obvious he didn't like the decision.

"The potion will take two days to create and two people will need to drink it. The one will become the beacon, while the other will be the Locator." Severus clarified.

"So I'll be the Locator." Harry said and dared anyone to argue with him.

"Then it is settled. For now everyone has to be extremely vigilant. We don't want anymore taken." Albus said and ended the meeting.

Remus sat back in his chair and watched as everyone gradually left, leaving him alone by the fire. His eyes settled on the dancing flames and he let himself finally feel the full force of guilt.

Ever since Sirius returned from the veil Remus knew that something was different between Hermione and his friend. They had grown closer, and there was no mistaking the smells those two were giving off. Remus watched his friend covertly for months. Sirius would drink in every moment he could of Hermione. There was envy in his friends face when Hermione and Harry would snuggle on a couch to watch a movie together. There was no doubt that Sirius had fallen in love with the young witch.

Remus couldn't blame him in the least, and in fact he thought that the two of them would be perfect for each other. They reminded him so much of Lily and James. Lily was so bright and she would chastise James for all of his pranks and especially for the way he treated Snivellus. Remus reflected on a day when Hermione and Sirius were arguing rather loudly about Padfoot's treatment of the potions professor. In fact she had called him a childish git, a name that he recalled Lily having called James once long ago.

Sirius probably thought that Hermione loved Harry, and in fact she did but the smells that those two gave off while together were anything but romantic. No, those two were not and never will be lovers. The bond that they have runs deep, but Remus knew it was more of a family thing than romantic. Had he told Sirius about how those two felt about each other, perhaps Sirius and Hermione would be together and she wouldn't have been taken.

Remus closed his eyes and let his head thump back against the chair. He could only hope that Padfoot wouldn't do something to make things worse for them all.


	9. Chapter 9

Dancing in rain – You are so sweet to say that you missed my story over the weekend. I'm having a great time with the story and I'm so glad that someone is enjoying it! Hope you like this one.

* * *

Sirius whined and lifted his head off the ground. His mind was so foggy and all he could concentrate on was trying to sit up. He was still in his animagus form so it took him a moment to remember to work with four legs instead of two. Finally when he was sitting up he tried to clear his brain to recollect what happened. 

They were in Hermione's house. Strangers were there, Ginny on the floor, pain in his thigh. He must have been drugged because he didn't remember much else from there. Looking around he realized he was in a kennel. Whoever kept him obviously didn't know he was really an animagus, and for now he planned to keep it that way.

Hermione. Was he now where she had been taken? If so then perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. He had a step up on their captures surely, but for now he would play the role of dog. His moment would come, but not until he knew where Hermione was first.

"Blimey, is that Frank?" Sirius twitched his ears at the voice.

"Yup, poor bastard I say. Not going to like his new job very much now." Another voice spoke.

The kennels were being opened and the sound of meat landing on the ground could be heard. He could smell the tang of blood and knew they must be feeding the other dogs.

"Cor, Wha' e do?" The first asked.

"'Parently 'e pissed off one o' the 'ead blokes."

A long whistle was heard and then the man spoke again. "No I can't say I envy him in the least." The man approached Sirius's cage.

"Eh, our new guy has awoken. Hey there fella, ya hungry?" The man opened a small gate within the door and threw something in his kennel. "Got a bit o'prime beef for ya there." The man said with another laugh before moving on to the next kennel.

Sirius looked down at what they threw into his kennel and he fought off the revulsion he immediately felt. A severed arm lay there. The bastards hadn't even taken off the man's silver bracelet. What kind of sick place was this? Sirius decided then that it was very important that he didn't fuck this up and that he definitely would wait for the appropriate time to act. He tucked himself as far away from the arm as possible and whined softly.

* * *

They walked down a long corridor before finally coming to a door that Malcolm turned to face. Along their trip to their training room Hermione had thought about her talk with Marcus. The deatheater planned to let the muggles do his dirty work and catch as many of the order as possible for him, crippling them all with collars and then leaving Dumbledore vulnerable to his final attack. 

What Hermione was concentrating on the most was the fact that he had no fear of the collars. This must mean there is a failsafe she thought to herself. There has to be one for him not to be worried about being crippled magically. _'Keep your eyes open Hermione' _she thought to herself.

She couldn't help the shutter that ran through her body as she thought of the man's hands and body all over her. It took everything in her not to vomit as his hands raked along her skin. Each touch burned and violated her and if she had not been collared she would have shown him who the stronger was of the two of them. Suddenly Malcolm's voice jerked her out of her thoughts.

"Here we are." Malcolm said as he opened the door and held out his arm indicating that he wanted her to enter first. She watched him for a moment and then complied. As she did she watched as he called over one of the guards and whispered something to him. The guard nodded and ran off without a second glance.

Hermione tilted her head in curiosity and Malcolm chuckled softly. "All in good time my dear. Please have a seat." He said as he pulled out a chair and sat it in the middle of the room. He took a second one and sat down in it himself.

She glanced around herself to take in her surroundings. The room was entirely white except for the mirror that spanned one entire wall. Cameras were rolling behind there most likely, and perhaps the odd person or two would be watching as well.

"I think it would be wise if you and I were to get to know each other a little better for our newfound relationship to work. First though I think that I will explain a little about your collar and the benefits and drawbacks. I'm sure you are interested in hearing this yes?" Malcolm said.

"Of course." She said simply.

Malcolm nodded. "Well by now you obviously know that if you try to use magic in any way you receive a most unpleasant feeling."

That was an understatement Hermione thought to herself.

"Well, this only happens when I have your collar on a certain setting. You see Crane Industries sees great advantage in wizardry, but being human's without that particular talent we need to farm out the jobs. We tried to acquire some employees, but it seems that wizards have a real aversion to the regular folk and only one man openly joined us. Of course you already know this to be Marcus Flint, and from the looks of it you two had met before am I right?" Malcolm inquired.

Hermione simply nodded and let the man continue.

"Yes, well Marcus approached us with a way that we could acquire our own wizard power and hence the collars were made. You see they act as a control device to keep us normal humans in power over you magic folk. Only I will allow you to use your magic, and of course it will only be used for mine and Crane Industries' purposes." He continued.

Hermione's brain started to tick at the thought, that meant he would have to shut off the collar at some point.

"I see that brain of yours working Hermione, and I warn you to rethink your thoughts. You see the collars have a certain binding with their owners. Your collar belongs to me, therefore you belong to me. Should you ever try to cast a spell on me when the collar is in filter mode then your spell will be doubled back onto yourself. So if you were to kill me, then your death would happen soon after. If you were to curse me, then your curse would double back on you and you would feel it twofold. So you see my dear, your use of magic on me will only damage you." Malcolm said with a smirk that Hermione wanted to slap off.

"If you choose to disobey me in any order, you will feel my wrath and the wrath of the collar. So do you understand the collar and its ramifications?" He asked her.

She nodded mutely.

"Good. Now Hermione, I would love if you would tell me a little about yourself." Malcolm asked in a sickly sweet tone.

Hermione sat silent, refusing to speak about herself to him.

Malcolm's face turned into a sneer and he reached forward, grabbing her leash and pressing the button. Hermione screamed out in pain and fell off her chair as she curled up into a ball.

When the pain stopped he spoke up again. "Tell me a little about yourself."

Again she said nothing and again she felt the pain coarse through her body. The screams were ripped from her lungs as she lost total control and when the pain stopped this time she couldn't help the twitches of her muscles.

"Tell me a little about yourself." He said again.

"My parents were not magical." Her voice croaked out sounding alien to herself.

"Good, now that was not so hard was it?" His voice was sweet and smooth again and he lowered himself down to the ground to pick her up and put her back in her chair.

"Now Hermione, I believe in rewarding good behavior. What you told me is a start and I think that is a big step. For this I think I will give you a small treat." He said with a glowing smile.

Malcolm nodded at the mirror and within a minute Hermione could hear the door starting to open. Her eyes drifted over to the doorway to see what her reward would be and her heart nearly stopped while tears filled her eyes.

"Snuffles." She sobbed and it was like a damn burst and all the pain and sadness since the whole ordeal hit her at once.

* * *

Heh I know mean place to end, but I thought it was a good cliffy. 


	10. Chapter 10

dancing in rain - You ask awesome questions and you definately make me think and spark some new ideas that I encorporate into my story. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

acdecnerd - Here is the update you asked for! Hope you like it.

Princess of Slytherin - So happy to see a new reader review! Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you like the new chapter!

* * *

Sirius had been hiding in the back corner of his kennel when they came and took him away. They had managed to pin him against the back wall with a long stick with a loop around it while he growled, barked and bit at them. When one of the men shouted that they were to get him to Malcolm for Granger Sirius stopped and perked his ears, tilting his head to one side.

The man cooed at him in a baby talk tone when he had stopped moving suddenly. "Oh does the big stupid dog know his owner's name? Yes, that is it you stupid fuck, we are going to see Hermione. Is that who you want to see?"

Sirius whined softly and the men then seemed confident that they could deal with the large dog. They slipped a muzzle over his head and strapped it snugly on him. The basket around his muzzle would prevent him from biting anyone, but he could use his body weight if he needed to.

They led him down a hallway until they came to a set of doors. They entered the first one and Sirius perked up his ears at the voice that filtered in the room. The man led him to one wall of the room that seemed to be made entirely of glass. Through the glass he could see Hermione sitting, facing him in the center of the room. Sirius started to bark, trying to get her attention but her eyes never wavered from the man sitting across from her.

"Good thing the room is soundproof, otherwise I think you would have pissed off Malcolm and that is the last thing you want to do." The guy that had led him said.

Sirius took the time waiting for what was to happen next by watching Hermione. Her clothes were strange indeed and something that he was sure that she wouldn't be caught dead in. He couldn't help but flick his ears in surprise as he noticed the belly ring that glittered against her flat tummy. One more thing that he never knew about the young witch discovered. Every time he thought he knew everything about her, she would surprise him with something else. He had a feeling it would be like that for as long as he knew her.

The next thing he noticed was the redness on her one cheek. Probably had been struck recently and by tomorrow Sirius was sure there would be a severe bruise in its place. Anger flared in him and he felt the man kick him in the side suddenly.

"Stop that growling or I'll have to do something about it." The man stated.

Sirius who didn't realize he was growling looked up at the man and then back to Hermione. The man and her were talking, something about a collar and its power. He listened closely and realized with horror that they were talking about the silver necklace around Hermione's throat. That would explain why she wasn't blasting the men to hell and back.

When Hermione started to refuse to cooperate Sirius cheered her on until suddenly he saw her collapse screaming to the floor. He couldn't help himself and he lunged forward, raking his paws along the glass as he tried to find a way through it to her. His barking couldn't even match the loudness of her screams and he felt completely helpless at that moment.

Again and again it happened and Sirius could only whine now as his heart ached for the young woman. It was at that moment that he knew that he had fallen completely in love with her and decided that if they made it out alive he would do something about it.

Eventually the man in the room turned towards them and nodded to his handler. The man led Sirius out of the room and to the next door down the hallway. When the door opened and Hermione looked over at him Sirius wanted to run and shower her with kisses. When she said his nickname though and started to cry he felt his entire body stiffen with a murderous rage. He would wreak hell on the man and whoever else was involved that put that look in her eyes.

The man led him closer to Hermione and Sirius strained at his leash to get close to her. He could see that she wanted to lunge towards him but she hesitated and looked over at the man with her. He nodded and Sirius saw the look of relief that filled her face.

To die at the moment that she wrapped her arms around him and whispered how happy she was to see him and how much she missed him would make him a happy man he decided to himself. Her fingers gripped his fur tightly, but instead of pain it was only comfort and warmth that he felt. He wanted to run his fingers through her short cropped hair. He wanted to kiss her deeply and taste her upon his lips. He couldn't even lick her because of the damn cage around his muzzle.

"Now Hermione, you see what rewards I can give to you if you cooperate with me? Perhaps if you are well behaved I may even let you keep him in your cell. You would like that wouldn't you?" The man behind her asked.

Hermione hesitated in pulling away and Sirius felt it was because she didn't want to part with him at that moment, at least that was what he hoped she had felt. When she looked up at the man she nodded and her voice was husky and strained. "I would Malcolm."

"Good, I'm glad to see you are using my name. Now if you would please sit down." The man Malcolm indicated towards the chair she had left. "Then we can continue our session."

Hermione stood up, but kept a hand in the fur on top of his head. He stood up and followed her, sitting beside her when she sat down and leaned his body against her leg.

"He looks like he is very loyal to you. I warn you though if he causes any problems we will not hesitate to shoot him." Malcolm warned.

"Snuffles will be a good boy." Hermione stated and Sirius wanted to laugh at the warning tone she took in her voice.

"Snuffles. Damn weird name for a dog like that. Ok you have learned about some of the collar's properties, but there are others that you will need to know." Malcolm continued.

"The collar has several defense mechanisms. The first is that you cannot cast a spell against your handler, that being me. The second is to prevent any of your friends from hurting your handler. For this I will demonstrate what I mean." Malcolm reached into his back pocket and pulled out a red and silver object. When he pulled out one of the pieces Sirius realized it was a knife.

Malcolm took the knife while fisting up his opposite hand and pulling his fist to his chest. He took the blade of the knife and slid it along his arm, slicing about an inch long cut. The moment the blood started to form after the first prick Hermione started to scream and once again collapsed onto the floor of the room.

The man that led Sirius into the room handed Malcolm a towel and he placed it onto his cut while he watched Hermione writhe on the floor in pain. Sirius on the other hand had run over to Hermione and ran around her whining loudly. He knew if he caused trouble it would upset the young witch so instead he ran helplessly around until she started to become still.

Her hand reached up and pulled on Sirius, asking him for support to help her up and he gladly gave it. She slumped back into her chair and Sirius could see her fighting with her body to stop the twitching of her muscles.

"If my body comes to harm while you are bound to me, you will come to harm. Do you understand this Hermione?" Malcolm gave her a stern look.

"Yes." Her voice was a mere whisper.

"Now tell me something more about you, like say where are your parents now?" he inquired.

"Dead." She stated simply.

Malcolm nodded. "Sorry to hear that. You have done well for your session Hermione. I think I might just let you have your dog for tonight. The others will only wish they could be as lucky as you are to have me as a handler." He boasted.

Hermione didn't bother to look up at the man, instead she looked down into Sirius's eyes. He was mesmerized by their beauty.

"Stanley will help you walk to your room. This is where we will part for today, but first.." Malcolm stood and placed a finger under Hermione's chin, while his other hand grasped her shoulder and pulled her up to him.

"A goodbye kiss would be appropriate, and I would like this to be reciprocated or else pain is all you will feel." Malcolm growled.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers and Sirius growled deeply as he saw the disgust on Hermione's face. She did as he asked though and kissed the man back.

"Very good." Malcolm whispered against her lips. "I shall see you tomorrow my dear. Take them both back to her cell." He said as he turned to the guard in the room.

"Right away sir." The guard responded.

Hermione leaned down to grab the leash and kissed Sirius lightly on his nose before standing back up. He thought he would go cross eyed when he realized she kissed him and he hoped and prayed that they would get out so that he could tell her how he really felt.

The guard took Hermione's arm and spoke softly to her. "If you need to lean on me at all just let me know."

"Thank you." She said with a kind smile and she took him up on his offer by leaning a bit of her weight on the man's arm as they walked back to her cell. The entire way Sirius thought only one thing, and that was to seek revenge on Malcolm and all those that dared to hurt Hermione.


	11. Chapter 11

Wow, got a whole set of new readers this last chapter! I'm so happy people are enjoying this story.

Gizmama – Thank you so much for reading my story and reviewing.

Sirius's Girl636321 – I'm so glad you are enjoying my story. I'll keep trying to get the updates out as soon as I'm able!

Peacock5 – I sure hope this story goes somewhere lol. It keeps poring out of me chapter by chapter and I have ideas on how it all will end, but none of it is set in stone. I just hope I won't disappoint.

Dancing in rain – Again you ask the most awesome questions and make me think of more chapters to write. I think this story is going to end up two times longer than I first thought it would be. I love it though cause it sparks up ideas for me and only adds to my story. Thanks!

moonyNZ – I'm really glad you like the muggle twist. I thought it would be kinda cool to have them be the bad guys in this. :)

Thanks again to everyone that reviewed! Once again the majority of the characters are not mine and belong solely to JK.

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Remus walked into the kitchen to find Harry sitting at the table with a glass of firewhiskey. The young wizard looked sad as he stared into the liquid and Remus went about making himself some tea before sitting down across from him. 

"Harry, blaming yourself will do nothing you know. We all blame ourselves for it, but it is the people that took them that are at fault." Remus said softly.

"I know Remus. I just should have known not to send Sirius to her house. His emotions are too tied up when it comes to Hermione." Harry said as he slid a hand through his hair.

"How do you mean?" Remus asked.

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Remus, you and I are the ones that know Sirius and Hermione most in this world so you and I both know that those two are completely in love and completely oblivious to the fact that the other loves them."

Remus couldn't help but laugh. "That is true. Are you upset that Sirius has fallen in love with her?"

Harry chuckled softly. "I think they are perfect for each other. I know those two could make each other happy, and I think Sirius would be the one man in the world that would understand the relationship between Hermione and I."

"He thinks you love her more than a friend you know." Remus stated.

"Yes well true love will overcome all obstacles I say. I don't want to force their love for each other. I think in time they will come to realize how foolish they have been, but I think it is up to them to decide when that will be." Harry said.

"How did you become so wise?" Remus asked with a smirk.

"I've had the best teachers guiding me along the way." Harry stated with a lopsided grin.

Remus chuckled as did Harry. When Harry stopped his smile turned sad.

"I miss them so much. I can't help but be worried sick about what they must be going through…if they are alive still." Harry let his voice trail off, not wanting to believe his last thought.

"We have to believe they are." Remus stated, refusing to believe that Sirius and Hermione were dead.

Harry gave him a sad look. "I pray you are right."

* * *

Draco stared at the ceiling of his cell. Hermione was not back from her training yet. It was amazing how quickly the time seemed to fly as he learned sign language and he was actually enjoying learning it. Sitting up he groaned as his body tensed in protest. He refused to cooperate with Miranda so many times that he never got a chance to even sit in his chair. 

She had been trying to get him to use the Imperius curse on one of the guards. Apparently Crane Industries found the idea that they could control their competitors very tempting. The ability to infiltrate and sabotage corporations from the inside would ensure their downfall.

Crane Industries apparently had a very dark side to it, and Draco had been asked to perform spells such as the Cruciatus Curse and even Avada Kedavra had been requested of him. It didn't surprise him that these were the spells being requested to be used. They were unforgivables, and Crane Industries to Draco felt very much like a large gang of Deatheaters only in muggle form. He wondered when they would actually use him in a real situation. When would his 'training' officially end and his 'job' begin?

"Enjoying your stay Draco?" The voice interrupted his thoughts and Draco sat up.

"I should have known someone like you would be behind this Flint." Draco growled.

"It is a real treat to see you like this you know. All of this.." Flint said with his arms outstretched and his eyes settled onto the various cells in the room. "All of this was for you. Don't you feel honoured?"

"Oh yeah completely. You're a real fuck Flint." Draco muttered.

Marcus laughed. "Ah Draco, it is such a fitting punishment for the one that betrayed the Dark Lord and even your father. Trussed up like a dog and stuck in a glass shell. The fact that I can take care of the entire order this way makes my revenge all the more sweet."

Draco watched as Marcus looked into Hermione's cell. "What a sweet number Hermione has become. I think I shall have to visit her often. Her skin is so soft and luscious and her figure has curves in all the right places." Anger seared through Draco as he watched Flint's face fill with lust.

"She was your lover once wasn't she? I bet she tastes sweet and the feel of her legs wrapped around you must make your mind reel. Is she a hellcat in bed Draco?" Flint looked at Draco as he spoke, watching for any sign of emotion.

"Hmmm not going to tell me? Then I will definitely have to find out for myself. Unfortunately Miranda is waiting so I'll have to wait till tomorrow. Perhaps when I tire of Hermione I can move on to her." Flints chin made a motion with his chin that made Draco look behind himself.

"No.." Draco whispered softly but Flint caught it and sneered.

"Oh something about the little redheaded bitch is there?" Flint said behind him.

Draco couldn't take his eyes off of Ginny's. Why was she here and why did it hurt so much to see her here? She had been the first of Hermione's friends to accept him and give him friendship. Perhaps that was it.

It tore him apart to see the tears in her eyes. The collar around her neck only made him see red and when he turned around it was to lunge at Marcus, wrapping his hands around the wizard's neck and strangling him.

Taken off guard Marcus stumbled backwards and both him and Draco fell to the floor. The fall forced Draco to loosen his grip slightly and it was enough to let Marcus hold his wand up and cry out, "Crucio!"

Draco rolled away, writhing in pain as the spell hit him. Flint stood up and put a hand to his neck before straightening out his clothing. "Bad move Malfoy. I'll be sure to let Miranda know to make your next session especially trying."

Draco shot the Deatheater a harsh glare as his body started to feel more like his own again. Still lying on the ground he watched as Marcus left his cell, turning once to speak again to him. "Remember Malfoy, this is just the beginning of your punishment. I'm going to take everything that you hold dear and destroy it right in front of you."

He turned and barked at one of the guards to close the cell, leaving Draco alone once again. Slowly he stood up and moved to the back of his cell. He stood close to the wall and made eye contact once again with Ginny. The two of them just sat there staring at each other. When did he get so soft. Merlin if he didn't know better he would think he may have feelings for a Weasley.


	12. Chapter 12

Dancing in rain – Can I say how awesome your questions are. You have added a whole new element to the story that I was not expecting to write, this chapter being a prime example. Just when I think I know what is going to happen, you trigger a thought and it takes a whole new direction. I hope you like this one. I think I'll dedicate it to you!

Gizmama – I'm so glad you are still enjoying the story! How is this for an update..I think it is record timing for me. You can thank dancing in rain for the sudden inspiration that had my fingers typing furiously!

* * *

"Marcus Flint is here to see you sir." The voice announced over the phone's intercom.

"Send him in." The deep voice replied.

The door to the office opened and Marcus Flint walked in with an arrogant swagger.

"You wanted to see me McCain?" Flint said with a growl.

"Have a seat Marcus." Devon McCain waited for the wizard to sit down before talking again.

"It has come to my attention that you have been killing some of my employees Marcus. I must tell you that this news does not please me in the slightest. You have been hired by my company and you are pushing the limits of my patience." The man stated with authority.

Devon McCain, President and CEO of Crane Industries was a powerful and influential man in the muggle world. He knew what he wanted in life and was fearless when it came to acquiring everything he set his sights on. It was this man that Marcus had approached to offer his aid in helping increase the company's strength.

Devon watched Marcus as he spoke and noted the sneer of disrespect on the wizard's face. "Do you think because you are a wizard that I cannot crush you like the bug you are? You are around because you are useful to me, but if I should question your loyalty or your tactics one bit you will regret it dearly."

Marcus scowled. "As if you could do anything to me."

"Don't tempt me Marcus. Consider this your warning. If you dare to defy me I will not even collar you, instead it will mean your death." Devon warned.

"Now, that is all I have to say to you. You may leave." Devon said in a tone of dismissal.

"Look here, you can't just…" Marcus started.

"I can and I will Flint. Cut your losses now and leave." Devon warned. The wizard looked as if he was going to do something rash, but instead decided against it and nodded before turning to leave.

A minute of silence followed his departure before Devon spoke up. "Merlin."

A man slipped out of the back corner of the room and approached the desk. Devon looked at the tall dark figure standing before him. The man had the face of an angel, but the heart of the very devil. This was Devon's right hand man, and the only man on this earth that he would trust with his life. It was fitting really that his name was the same as one of the most famous wizards known.

"Yes Sir?" Merlin purred as he stood in front of his boss.

Devon pondered things for a moment and then held up his hand. "One moment Merlin." He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Yes Sir?" A voice answered.

"You know what to do." Was all that Devon said.

"Yes Sir, right away Sir." The voice replied.

"Be sure to bring back my property. I will hold it until I decide on who I want to have it." Devon said.

"Yes Sir, of course Sir." The voice replied again.

Devon hung up the phone and then looked up at Merlin. The man in front of him had an amused smile on his face.

"Enforcing your warning are you Devon?" Merlin said with a touch of amusement on his voice.

"Of course. That wizard is getting too cocky for my liking. Now do you have the reports on the others?" Devon inquired.

"Of course Sir." Merlin said as he walked over to his bag in the corner and pulled out a thick file. He walked back to the desk and sat down in the chair across from his boss.

"We lost one due to Flint of course, that you know." Merlin started.

Devon nodded and Merlin continued.

"Malcolm has reported on his intro training session with Miss Granger. He seems pleased with her progress thus far." Merlin stated.

"What do you think?" Devon inquired.

"I think this witch is highly intelligent that knows when to be quiet and when to act. She is one to keep a close eye on sir. If we can manage to swing her to work for us willingly she would be a tremendous asset to our company." Merlin said.

"She could also be the very person to cause all hell to break loose down below." He added. "Malcolm has allowed her to keep her dog within her cell. He believes that it will endear himself to her for the gift."

Devon took the image of the young witch and took in her features. "Pretty thing she is. Malcolm has already grown an attachment to her. I want you to watch him carefully. I have a feeling his loyalties could become questionable in the future. I want someone that is loyal to me and not the witch he is bound to. "

"Yes sir. The new recruit has only recently woken, and Douglas has been assigned as her keeper as per your orders." Merlin continued.

"Very good. That man has potential I believe. I don't believe he will get attached like Malcolm has." Devon stated.

"What do you wish to do about the old man and the child now that their usefulness is done?" Merlin asked.

Devon pondered for a moment. They had caught those two first to test out their new collar. The old man was waning in health and apparently his mind had gone somewhat feeble as well, decreasing the strength of his magic abilities to a near minimum. The young girl was just new into her magical abilities and had yet to even learn half the spells that existed. Neither of them would have been a direct threat to any of them had the collars not worked properly. Having learned that they did work though gave them the ability to capture the wizards and witches that were known to have the greatest strengths in the wizarding world. Marcus had filled them in on a list of names and they just needed to lure them out and capture them one by one.

"The girl is young and impressionable. I think we shall keep her. When one of our wizards or witches have finished their training, they can in turn teach the girl how to use her gifts. As for the old man, kill him." Devon stated with no emotion in his voice.

"Cecile will not be happy about the decision sir." Merlin stated.

"Cecile has become far too attached. Deal with her in whatever way you deem best. I trust you implicitly to handle the situation." Devon said.

"Yes sir, very good sir. Will there be anything else?" Merlin asked.

"Report back to me when alpha team 1 has finished their task." Devon said.

"Yes sir." Merlin replied with a bow before gathering up the papers, placing them back into his briefcase and leaving the office.

Devon turned around and steepled his fingers in front of himself. His eyes scanned the landscape before him and he wondered if he would ever tire of looking at it. It was truly a wonder to behold really and it was one of the things that he most enjoyed about his office. The sun was setting off in the distance and he watched as the lights turned on, lighting up the Eiffel Tower.


	13. Chapter 13

Dancing in rain – I'm so glad you liked the chapter I dedicated to you. I hope you'll keep on enjoying it. You have been my most dedicated reader thus far and I thank you so much for it!

Someonelse – I hope all the headgames aren't confusing. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far and thank you so much for reviewing! I hope you will keep enjoying it.

* * *

Hermione's entire body ached from the punishment it had received not only from her training, but from being hit by Malcolm as well. The guard's arm was welcome, as she did not think she would make it to her cell by herself. She still couldn't believe that Sirius was with her.

They had led him into the room thinking him to be her dog and that his presence would soften her to them. The fact was though that it made her resolve two fold and she would find a way to get them all out of this mess. Her brain was working overtime now, trying to figure out what the failsafe would be that Marcus would have put onto the collar.

She thought of all that Malcolm taught her during their session and she used her own observations as well. There was no doubt in her mind that the bracelets and the collars were intertwined, it would have to be them that linked the two people together. So how did she get the collar off of her if she couldn't cast spells on the man or have someone else hurt him?

"Would you like to sit down for a minute before we continue?" The voice interrupted her thoughts causing Hermione to jerk suddenly.

"Hmm? Oh, yes that would be appreciated thank you." She said with a weak smile.

The guard led her over to an empty room and pulled out a chair for her to sit on. Hermione sat down and panted softly as Sirius snuggled up against her legs. He whined at her as he looked up at her with those puppy dog eyes and Hermione thought she would melt.

"Its so good to have you with me old friend. I just hate that you have to be captive with me." She said softly and pulled Sirius into another hug.

"I'm sorry." The guard said quietly.

Hermione looked up at the man and frowned. "Obviously not sorry enough to be leading me to my cell and not outside of this horrid place." She growled.

"It's my job, the end result of what I do will only better mankind." The guard said.

"You really believe that do you? I suppose you believe that Hitler was right in condemning the Jews then as well don't you?" There was a look of disgust on the young witches face.

"I..my previous employer insisted that I work here." The guard continued. "You see the company holds some **_Inter_**esting **_Pol_**icies that will help greatly."

She had been looking down at Sirius, but suddenly her head jerked up and stared at the guard. Did he really just tell her what she think she did? Hope flooded inside her and she stared at the man to try and dig the answer from out of his eyes. He gave her a barely perceptible nod which she returned with her own.

"I'm better now thank you. You can continue to do your job, since it is so important to you." She tried to keep the venom in her voice, knowing there would most likely be eyes and ears throughout the building.

The guard nodded and took her arm again, leading her at a pace that she could handle. "So are you really a witch?" He asked curiously.

"This company is insane. Do a few Wiccan rituals and they call you a witch. Seem to think I can do extraordinary things." She said.

The guard smirked. "Well I have to say I've seen extraordinary things from a few people around here."

"Believe what you must then." Hermione stated simply and ended the conversation.

They entered her cellblock and Hermione noticed Ginny had woken up and was now looking past Draco and over to her. Draco turned slowly and his eyes flickered down to the dog walking with him. His brow furrowed slightly and Hermione could see the confusion on his face.

Sirius's animagus form was still unknown to many, and seeing as it was Sirius's secret Hermione had never told Draco about it. Ginny on the other hand looked a tad more hopeful than she had at first.

When Hermione entered her cell she turned to the guard. "Can I remove this?" She asked as her fingers touched the muzzle on Sirius's face.

"Yes, but if he tries to bite anyone he will be shot." The guard said.

"I understand. Will..will you be my guard again?" She asked softly.

"I have recently been assigned to this wing, so yes. My name is Colin." He stated.

Hermione nodded and smiled slightly. "Well thank you for your kindness. Every little bit helps in a place like this it seems." She said with a grimace.

Colin nodded and then left the cell, locking the door behind him and leaving the block.

Hermione knelt down and undid the muzzle on Sirius's face. When she removed it Sirius leaned his head down and rubbed his nose with his paw, as if scratching an itch he couldn't reach till that moment.

"Oh Snuffles. I feel so awful. You shouldn't be here, your being here means you are in the same predicament as me and yet I'm happier than I have been in quite some time. That is awful isn't it?" She said with a guilty look upon her face.

Sirius lifted his head and tilted it when he looked at her, then he stepped forward and nuzzled his nose into Hermione's neck as if to tell her that there was no place he would rather be. Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she hugged her friend tightly.

* * *

Ginny groaned and rubbed her forehead before she sat up in her cot. The last thing that she remembered was hearing a noise in Hermione's room and then suddenly she was grabbed from behind. Whatever it was they did it knocked her out cold she realized.

Her hand went to her neck that was feeling stiff and weighed down. When her fingers touched the cold metal, she wondered if this was what had happened to Hermione and Draco. She let her eyes take in her surroundings.

A glass cell was the realization. Sitting up and turning slightly she looked into the cell beside her. There was an older gentleman lying on the cot directly beside hers. He seemed to be sleeping, but his eyes opened slightly and he gave her a sad smile.

Tears filled Ginny's eyes. This wasn't a man that should be incarcerated. She turned and took in the rest the cell block. The cell directly across from hers was empty, but the bed looked like it had been slept in. There were two men talking in the cell beside that one and Ginny ignored it for a moment to look at the cell beyond that held a young girl that she recognized from Hogwarts.

Ginny had taken a job with Madame Pomfrey and so knew a lot of the children that were attending Hogwarts. She had always wanted to become a Mediwitch and she so enjoyed school, when she wasn't nearly being killed, that it was a dream come true. Her eyes flickered back over to the cell with the two people talking and when she saw Draco Malfoy turn to face her fresh tears filled her eyes.

He had gone through so much in his life, from an abusive deatheater father, to becoming a double agent for the order. He had seen death, felt the bitter sting of betrayal and so rarely felt happy times. Draco had been a complete git in Hogwarts, but Ginny soon realized there was so much more to the man when he was older. Hermione had opened her eyes to him, and she had accepted him as a friend in doing so.

Eventually as time went by, Ginny started to feel somewhat jealous of her friend. Draco and Ginny had become close friends, but she never would have betrayed her friendship with Hermione. The two of them weren't lovers anymore, but Ginny never got the confidence to tell Draco how she truly felt about him.

When Draco looked at her, she felt her heart flutter wildly. Their eyes never left each other until his eyes suddenly hardened with anger and he turned to attack the man in his cell. She realized that the man Draco was trying to strangle was none other than Marcus Flint, known Deatheater. Her mind started buzzing and she wished she knew more about what was happening to the group of them.

Ginny screamed and hit the side of the cell when she saw Marcus cast the cruciatus curse on Draco. When it was all done Ginny watched as Draco pulled himself up and walked over to the wall closest to her. They stared at each other then, trying to comfort each other with their eyes as best they could.

Motion caught her attention again after a little while and she watched as Hermione was led to the cell across from hers. Sirius was with her and that made Ginny feel a touch of hope. Whoever it was that kept them here did not realize that Sirius was an animagus and were allowing him to stay with Hermione within her cell. Hermione gave her a pointed look and she returned it with a hopeful one.

When the guard left all the prisoners alone, Hermione took off Sirius's muzzle and Ginny watched as she stroked the dog. After a few minutes Hermione looked up at Ginny and started to sign to her in traditional sign language. Her friend had taught her the language shortly after they had left Hogwarts and was rather thankful for it now.

"Are you ok?" Hermione signed.

"Yes, Just a bit foggy." Ginny replied.

"Good. I'm teaching Draco how to sign." Hermione added.

"I will help." Ginny replied with a smile.

Hermione nodded and put her hands down fast. Ginny saw the motion down the end of her aisle and watched as two guards along with a tall man who had the face of an angel. A woman was following behind with tears streaming down her cheeks. The woman kept grabbing at the tall man and he kept shrugging her off until they reached the old man's cell.

Draco recognized the woman immediately as the old man's handler, but it was the first time he had seen this man. Hermione watched closely, taking in every detail of the man and woman that had just arrived. Ginny had stepped back to the opposite side of her cell, as if keeping distance between her and them would make her invisible to them.

The guards opened the cell and the man and woman walked into it. After a few moments of arguing the tall man reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. He stood there yelling at the woman who was grabbing at him, while his arm raised. The old man was sitting on his bed silently watching the two people.

Everything was silent and for each person it was as if in slow motion. Ginny watched in horror as bone, blood and brains spattered onto the cell wall, causing her to scream loudly and huddle herself into a ball. Hermione screamed and started to thump the wall as she watched the man turn his gun to the hysterical woman and shoot her twice in the chest. Draco watched with grim resignation knowing that this could end up being all their fates if they lost their usefulness. Sirius barked loudly feeling utterly helpless and knowing that if he revealed himself now they would all end up like that.

The man with a face of an angel gave each witch and wizard an evil grin before talking briefly with the guards. He then left the cell and walked down the aisle as horrified glares followed him. Each of them turned to each other and they tried to reassure each other, but having seen this almost broke them. Hermione turned to look at Hailey and the young girl was in the back corner of her cell, crying.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry this chapter was delayed in getting uploaded! I was sick yesterday and didn't get it written until today. I hope you will enjoy it as much as you all have seemed to enjoy the rest!

SIRIUS'S GIRL636321 - Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are still enjoying the story and I hope that this chapter will be just as good as the rest.

dancing in rain – What can I say! THANK YOU!! I'm really excited about what we have been discussing and I'm sorry that I took so long to get this chapter out!

moonyNZ – Thank you so much!

* * *

It had felt like ages since Harry had wandered the halls of Hogwarts. Such good memories they beheld for him and his friends, along with some frightening ones as well. The good had far outweighed the bad though and so it was happy thoughts that were within his mind as he entered the familiar room.

The man was leaning over a cauldron and had not seemed to notice Harry as he walked in, but without looking up Severus Snape spoke up. "Potter." He said in the old and familiar way he always spoke to Harry.

"I suppose you have come to check up on me have you? You have no need to worry Mr. Potter, the potion will be done soon so that you can rescue the imbecile of a Godfather of yours along with the know it all." The potions professor said with a sneer as he looked up at Harry.

"No, I know you are skilled in what you do Severus so I have no worries that you will produce the potion as swiftly as you are able. " Harry stated simply with a pause.

"As for the know it all..well you do realize it was her that campaigned the most for you. She saw past your bluster and bravado and saw to the true heroic man you are. It took time for Ron and I to realize this, but she finally got through our thick skulls." Harry gave Severus a lopsided grin.

"I came to see how you are doing. I know Draco is important to you, and I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to get him as well as Sirius and Hermione. Draco and I may have disliked each other in school, but we have gotten past a lot of our differences since then." Harry gave Severus a concerned look.

"I'm doing as well as I'm able Mr. Potter." Severus stated.

"Could you not find it in your heart to call my Harry? I know you are not as evil and hard hearted as you make yourself out to be, you have taught me a lot and protected me when I was not able to protect myself and I want you to know that I'm thankful and forever grateful for that." Harry said.

Severus regarded the young man across the desk from him. He had grown up in many ways and lost a lot of his annoying attitude that he held within his stay at Hogwarts. It just didn't feel right for him to treat him any differently than he had in the past. He called Hermione a know it all, but Severus knew that she was a brilliant witch that had grown strong not only in her academics but in her personality as well. She didn't try and force her knowledge on people anymore and had become much more subtle about the way she acted towards others. Ron was still a prat though.

Harry watched the range of emotions cross Severus's face. To the average person it would like a stony expression, but Harry had come to know that face well and could tell the little differences that were emotions. Finally Harry decided to let the professor off the hook when he held up his hand.

"Ok I admit I'm asking a lot. Call me anything you like, but you won't fool me with that attitude of yours." Harry said with a grin only to hear a snort from Severus in response.

"Just know that I'm going to do anything in my power to get Draco out safe." Harry continued.

Severus kept his eyes on the contents of the cauldron as he spoke. "Thank you."

Harry didn't know whether or not to cheer at that moment or fall off his chair and stare with shock, instead he opted for just a nod and left the professor to do what he did best.

* * *

Hermione lay on her back in her cell with Sirius snuggled beside her. Her hands were stroking the dark fur on his back as she spoke softly to him.

"This is a nightmare that I can't seem to wake myself out of Snuffles." She burrowed her nose into the hair on his neck and felt the dog shiver slightly.

"Please tell me that others know that we are missing." She asked softly.

Sirius chuffed in response and she took that to mean a yes.

"You know of all the people I would have asked to walk through that door and be with me through all this, it was either you or Harry. You two are the ones that give me the most strength." She said softly.

Feeling she was giving away too much knowledge of her heart, Hermione chose to change her line of thought.

"Marcus Flint is behind a lot of this, but I can't help but wonder if it will all get out of hand. Purebloods don't realize the real strength of muggles. Most think they are dunderheads that are clueless. They are strong and vicious though and should never be underestimated." She said.

Sirius turned to look at her as if she was crazy.

"See even you don't believe me. You saw what happened in that cell. Our spells are enough to kill, but they are sterile in a way. Look at Ginny…she is still traumatized by what she saw. We may be aware of some things that muggles aren't, but most purebloods are clueless about things outside of their own little world. All that blood, that is something that muggles see everyday. They see it so much that they are immune to it in a way. They put it in their movies for thrills, they watch it everyday on their news happening to real people around the world. Death is one of the most viewed things in a muggles life." She stopped with a sigh.

"Marcus said that he would never fear being collared. That means there must be a failsafe. What that is though I have no idea. The collar is linked to Malcolm, this I know. It reacts if he is in pain, it reacts if I try and do a spell against him and only he can control if I can cast or not. I think the bracelet he wears is tied to the collar, I think this is the collars mate. He tried to throw me by putting the leash on me and using that as the main controls, but I can't help but notice the only people that wear them are the ones with wizard and witches bound to them." Hermione paused and went into deep thought.

Sirius watched her and couldn't help but wonder at the beauty of her face as she concentrated. Her brow was furrowed and he wanted to kiss the little wrinkle at the top of her nose.

Hermione looked at Sirius while she was thinking and when she saw the little tip of his tongue sticking out she couldn't help but giggle. It looked so much like he had a pink bottom lip, and it made his face look adorable.

"You look like a puppy when you do that Snuffles." She said with another giggle.

Sirius growled at her playfully and bumped her with his head.

"Hey! Stop that, I'm trying to think here." She said laughing.

He lifted his head and then lay it down onto her stomach, allowing her to continue her thinking.

She let all the facts go through her mind and when they centered in onto one thought she wasn't sure if she should actually consider it. It seemed too simple, too obvious in a way, but then it seemed to be the perfect way to remove the collar. "Maybe…just maybe." Hermione said to herself.

"I can't though Snuffles, not until I know it is the best time to try it. I think I may know how though…It just might work." She said with an excited tone.

Sirius tilted his head as he looked at her, questioning her.

"No, I can't say it out loud just in case. When the time is right..that is when." She said and then gave Sirius a big hug.

"Did I tell you how happy I am that you are here with me?" She said with a smile.

He looked up and licked her face, causing her to giggle.

"You know Snuffles, if you were human I would have to question your intentions with kisses like those." Hermione said.

"Not that I'd mind…" She whispered softly.

Sirius pulled back slightly and looked at her. There was a deep blush on her face and he realized that he had heard right. He quirked his head slightly at her.

"Did I say that out loud? Oh dear…" She rubbed her face feeling completely embarrassed.

* * *

Marcus was fuming as he arrived at Miranda's flat. How dare that muggle threaten him like that. He was a strong wizard that could crush the man flat if he so desired. The man was obviously thinking too big for his tiny little muggle brain and soon Marcus would have to rectify that problem.

He entered the flat and called out to Miranda. "Hey sexy, your shag has just arrived."

A good shag was what he needed at the moment. He had been fighting with his erection since speaking with Hermione, but since he couldn't use her to settle it at the moment Miranda would have to do.

He walked down the hallway towards her living room. "Playing cat and mouse are we?" He purred. "Well you better watch out, because this cat is hungry and he is going to eat the mouse until he is full."

She was still quiet he noticed and he rounded the corner of the hallway. The room was empty, but he could smell food cooking and grinned. She was a good little lay, she knew food was what he wanted after a good fuck.

He headed into the kitchen, talking along the way. "You'll never believe what the little shit Devon tried to pull on me today. I think you and I will have to have a chat to let the muggle know just where his place is. Maybe you can finally have the meal you have been wanting all along." He said with a smirk.

As he walked into the kitchen he felt that something just wasn't quite right. His brow furrowed as he walked in farther and the closer he got to the counter, the more he felt something was wrong. From over top the counter he caught a flash of blue and recognized immediately that it was Miranda's favourite negligee. Slowly he walked around the counter and it took his brain a moment to register the scene before him.

Her body lay surrounded by her own blood. The contrast between the deep red fluid and her pale flawless skin was startling, but it was the lack of her head that was even more so. He couldn't say a word, and he looked around numbly trying to find her head but couldn't see it immediately. With dread though he took a step towards the oven and hesitated before opening it. He couldn't help but jump back in horror as he saw the blackened head inside the oven and as he moved he tripped over Miranda's body and felt her blood soaking his pants. It was at that moment that a true trickle of fear went down his spine and he realized that he may indeed be in over his head.


	15. Chapter 15

Mai Gamit – A new reader! Welcome! Thank you so much for your lovely review. I'm so happy that someone new is enjoying the story and I hope that you will continue to do so!

gizmama – Thanks so much gizmama, here is that update you asked for!

dancing in rain – hee hee I aim to keep you entertained hun! Thank you so much again!

moonyNZ – I'm enjoying Padfoot myself, but don't you worry we will get to see Sirius again in all his devilish glory!

* * *

It was amazing what being cooped up in a small cell could do to one's mind Draco thought to himself. There was only so many things one could do in a situation like the group of them were in. One option was to brood at how you could have evaded being captured and how you did not deserve the treatment to which you were suffering. Another was to reflect on your life and pick all the bad things that you did so that you could beat yourself up and say that you did in fact deserve to be cooped up in a cell. The third option was what Draco chose to do though, and that was to think of his past and how the two women that he could see in the cells next to him affected him.

His grey eyes watched the young and beautiful witch directly beside him. Hermione was currently talking quietly to the dog that lay with his head on her stomach and he remembered a time when they once did the same. Time had thrown many obstacles in the path of himself and Hermione. Each of them had to deal with different situation, and each of them risked their lives for the sake of the light, giving them more in common than they had ever realized.

He reflected on the moment that changed their relationship. He was brooding in the Three Broomsticks with a firewhiskey in hand when she sat down across from him. His steely gaze drifted up to her and he sneered angrily at her.

"What do you think you are doing Granger?" He growled menacingly.

She sat there quietly, unaffected by his tone. Her head had tilted slightly as her dark brown eyes flickered side to side, her gaze boring into his own as he looked back.

"Well?!" He snarled.

"A man like you shouldn't have to drink alone." She said softly.

"You mean an ex-deatheater that tried to kill your precious Potter don't you? Think I should be drinking a Dementor's kiss do you?" Draco spit out.

She shook her head sending a short curly wisp to fall over her one eye. The haircut was a definite improvement for the Mudblood Draco thought and then wondered where it suddenly came from.

"No. I mean a man that risked his life and never got the proper credit that he was due. A true hero in the wizarding world." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry for all the hateful things I have ever said to you Draco."

"What the hell are you talking about you stupid mudblood? I was a fucking deatheater." He growled.

"You are a brave man who risked his own life for something he believed in and I'm sorry that I ever doubted that you had it in you." She said softly. "I just wanted you to know that…I won't bother you anymore as I see my presence is not wanted."

Hermione stood up and started to walk past him but he reached up and grabbed her wrist before she could leave.

"Wait.." He said softly, unable to look her in the eye.

Hermione bent down so that she was looking up at him and her hand lifted. A finger touched his cheek gently and encouraged him to look at her. He let himself be lead and his eyes latched onto hers as he looked down at her.

"Thank you for saving our lives Draco, and thank you for standing by us in your silent and brave way." Tears were filling her eyes as she looked up at him and he felt an unfamiliar tug on his heart.

"I'm sorry for everything my father did to you, I'm sorry for everything I did to you." He tried to look away, feeling shame at how he had treated her in the past suddenly. She wouldn't allow it though and encouraged him to look back at her.

"We all have a chance for a new beginning Draco, if we all will allow it. I'm willing if you are?" She sat there silently for a moment before suddenly standing up and holding out her hand. "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger."

He gave her a confused look for a moment and then he felt the corner of his mouth twitch up slightly. "Hello Hermione." Draco said as he stood up and took the young witches hand. "I am Draco and it is lovely to make your acquaintance." He said pulling her hand up to his lips and brushing a soft kiss on the back of her knuckles.

Draco was surprised to see her cheeks redden with a blush and he smirked which gave him a devastatingly handsome look. "I would love it if you would join me for a drink this evening, I find myself in desperate need of some intelligent conversation and who better to ask that from then one of the brightest witches ever to graduate from Hogwarts."

Hermione smiled brightly, her cheeks a slightly deeper shade of red. "I would love to join you Draco. I have heard that your skills in potions is a shining star within the field and that it is expected that you will become one of the greatest masters in the wizarding world."

It was Draco's turn to blush and Hermione chuckled softly. They started off with scattered bits of conversation but it did not take them long to delve deeper and both were shocked when it was time for the place to close for the night. Hours they had talked for and the time had seemed too short.

"I was wondering Draco, if you would allow me to cook you a dinner this weekend at my house. I live in muggle London and I understand if that would make you uncomfortable, so please do not hesitate to decline if this bothers you." It was one of the first times that Draco had ever seen Hermione unsure of herself and he couldn't help but feel his heart fill with warmth.

"I would be honoured Hermione." He said with a smile and she gave an excited yip as a result.

"Wonderful! Saturday at 7:00 shall we say?" She said.

"Sounds perfect." He replied.

So it was settled between them and from then on the two of them only grew closer in their friendship, which in turn led them to a romantic relationship. When they did realize that they were not meant for each other in that way, they were both feeling the same. They agreed that they were the best of friends, but that their romance just was not working out. There was no question that the sex between them was hot and that Draco wouldn't have hesitated in sleeping with her again, but it was more casual and comfort for each of them and not born of love.

Hermione's dark eyes drifted over to him as he looked at her and he smiled sadly to her. She placed her palm against the glass and he put his up against hers. They would be friends forever and at that moment Draco prayed that their lives were not cut short due to what was happening to them.

He let his eyes drift up past Hermione and they settled onto the sleeping form of Ginny. She had taken the death of the old man hard and Draco couldn't blame her. Being pureblooded wizards the degree of violence that they had witnessed was appalling. Spells were dangerous and some were messy, but neither of them had witnessed a death so gruesome.

He thought back to when she had accepted him as a friend and smiled. The youngest Weasley had her own strong mind, and Draco soon learned that it was indeed a family trait. As much as he poked fun at the Weasleys he couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous of them all.

Draco was an only child in his family, and his parents were not the most loving. He was forced to grow up at a young age and had been beaten regularly if he dared to defy his father. Ginny on the other hand had grown up with loving brothers and loving parents. When one of them was in trouble, they had their own personal army to fight against the evils. Her kindness matched her mother's and father's and her forgiveness perhaps even surpassed the rest.

So many hateful things he had said to Ron and his family. He had constantly remarked on their lack of money by poking fun at their used books, robes and wands. In reality Draco knew that money would never truly buy happiness. The Weasley's were proof of that fact every day that they lived. He would never admit to Ron how he felt about their family. Harry, Ron and Draco had agreed to set their differences aside, but there was never a bond of friendship like he had gained with Hermione and Ginny.

Ginny had looked at him skeptically at first when she had learned that him and Hermione were dating. She had warned him that if he ever thought to hurt her best friend that she would castrate him immediately making him worry strongly about his manly bits. At that moment he knew that she would indeed follow up on her threat should he choose to force her. When he assured her that he truly had grown to love Hermione as a friend she just looked at him for a few moments before pulling him into a hug.

"Well then, any friend of Hermione's is a friend of mine." She said with a smile. That was the moment that he first realized that Ginny Weasley had grown into a stunningly beautiful woman.

Ginny's long red hair draped over the end of her cot and Draco sighed softly. He made a pact with himself at that moment. If they managed to get out of this mess, Draco would give that woman a kiss that she would never forget and then beg her to have dinner with him at least once.

Hermione watched Draco as he was smiling wistfully towards Ginny. She couldn't help but smirk as she realized that he had a thing for her best friend. Hermione whispered softly to Sirius.

"I hope that those two will get a chance to be together Snuffles. I think that they will be perfect for one another." A wistful smile of her own lit her face as Sirius thought the very same thing about himself and Hermione.


	16. Chapter 16

Wow new readers!! I love new readers just as much as I love my old readers!!

PadfootsLuvr – Awww Mrs. Black I'm so thrilled that you love my story!! Sounds like you are a Serious Sirius fan and I'm glad to know that I'm not offending anyone! :)

Mai Gamit – Thank you so much Mai. I agree with you, it is hard to read a story when there is sooooo much angst it depresses you to no end. You have to have a glimmer of light every so often, and I believe that Hermione and the gang wouldn't wallow but instead pull from their inner reserves.

xxx-kisses-xxx – I'm so pleased that my story has made people think! I love fluff every now and then, but I really do love a good action that has you guessing what the heck is going to happen next. That is really what I'm trying to do with this story and I hope I'm somewhat succeeding.

dancing in rain – lol the last chapter snuck up on me as well! I thought for sure I wasn't going to have it posted until tonight because I didn't know where it was going to come from next. Suddenly though Draco called out to me and he can be a persistent one when he wants something!

* * *

Sirius lifted his head when he heard the cell door being opened and in turn the motion seemed to have awoken Hermione from her slumber. He watched as Hermione yawned and gave the door of her cell a groggy look. Glancing back at the door he recognized the guard that Hermione seemed to have taken some interest in. He didn't know what the guard had exactly conveyed to her, but for some reason she thought he might just be one to trust.

Personally Sirius was having a hard time trying to think of any of their captures as someone to trust. None of them had exactly proven that they were actively trying to help them out. Instead Sirius contemplated if this was just a ploy to gain the young witches trust.

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry but Malcolm has asked that I bring you to him. He has requested that your dog stay here." The guard said.

Sirius growled and the hackles rose on his back. The guard gave him a surprised look. "Its like he understands or something." The guard said pointing to Sirius.

Hermione laughed softly. "He is just very in tune with emotions. He just feels my apprehension as to what I will encounter today is all."

Colin seemed satisfied with the answer and held the door open for her to walk through. When she reached the door she turned and bent down, calling him over softly.

"I'll be ok Snuffles. You behave yourself alright? I don't want to come back to find one of my best friends has been shot." She had grabbed the fur on either side of his neck and made him look into her eyes. He could get lost in the eyes and die a happy man. He chuffed softly and butted her gently with his forehead, earning him a kiss between his eyes.

She gave him a sad look before standing up and walking through the door. Colin locked the cell and the two of them started down the aisle, leaving the cell block behind.

Hermione walked close to Colin, hoping that he would throw out some quiet conversation as they walked to wherever they were going. Finally not able to take it any longer she mumbled softly.

"How have your studies been going?" She asked.

He looked down at her quizzically. "Ah on the company policies. Yes indeed, my studies have come along well in fact. Doors have opened that I never expected would, but I have taken advantage and created a layout of all the important features that I need to know. There have been some issues along the way, but soon I will have my own team to help me unlock the doors that won't open."

"I see. Well I hope they will unlock for you soon." She replied.

He looked down at her and smiled reassuringly which bolstered her confidence. She was unsure of what this next meeting with Malcolm would bring, but her thoughts of freedom had been renewed.

* * *

Merlin watched the man through the glass with slitted eyes. There was no question Malcolm wanted to improve his standing within the company and he had the ability to do so, but Merlin had a feeling that the man's cock did more thinking than his head. He had learned of the second training session early in the morning and decided to watch how things went. This woman, Hermione, she could be such an asset to the company and the last thing they needed was Malcolm fucking it up.

The door to the room opened and a guard stepped through with the young witch following shortly behind. Merlin turned his gaze to Malcolm and saw the lust fill the man's eyes.

"Hermione, so lovely to see you this morning. I trust you slept well last night and thought about your options available. Today's session will be simple really, please have a seat will you?" Malcolm indicated the empty chair that sat beside a table.

Merlin moved his eyes over to Hermione and saw the reaction on the witch's face as she realized what sat on the table top. "How?" She whispered.

"We retrieved your dog Hermione, you don't think that we wouldn't retrieve your most precious commodity as well do you?" The man said with a smirk.

Merlin saw the temptation for her to grab the straight and seemingly harmless stick that sat upon the table, but she denied herself and instead sat down and turned her attention away from it.

"Marcus Flint gave us some knowledge of the power of witches and wizards and we know that you derive a lot of your strength from your wands. What would the sense be of keeping you lot without having you be able to cast spells? I was rather surprised though when you tried to cast one on me without your wand though." He purred.

Hermione's gaze flickered from the mirror in front of her to the man talking for a moment and then back to the mirror. Merlin furrowed his brow and wondered if she could see him, it was as if her gaze was boring directly into his own.

"Tell me more of your wandless magic will you?" Malcolm inquired.

Hermione sat silent.

"Please my dear, do we really have to go through this process again? You know that you will tell me eventually, so why go through the pain?" Malcolm said with a voice that was silky and dark and Merlin saw the shudder run through the witch's body.

Still silence reigned in the room and Malcolm sighed deeply. "You leave me no choice then." He leaned forward and grabbed the leash that hung down the front of the woman and pushed the button on it's handle.

The reaction was instant and Merlin couldn't help but step forward and place his hand upon the glass. The pain was etched in the woman's face as she screamed loudly and then collapsed onto the ground into a shuddering ball. It lasted about thirty seconds but when it was done Merlin could see the after shocks of pain rippling through her muscles.

She was so toned and when her body tensed from the pain each muscle could be seen. It was almost erotic to him to see her body writhe and shudder. To make her react like that in a bed would be an interesting endeavor and Merlin could suddenly understand the trainer's fascination with the witch. She didn't deserve what Malcolm thought of her though. Merlin could see so much more. Power, cunning, strength were just a few points. All Malcolm saw was a body to fuck.

Merlin sneered as he looked at the trainer. He was walking a thin line with the second in command. Merlin was almost praying that he would fuck up so he could step in and try his hand at taming the witch.

Malcolm knelt down and picked up Hermione, placing her back in the chair. His hand stroked her cheek softly as he asked again. "Tell me more about your wandless magic."

She glared up at him and he smudged his thumb across the corner of her mouth, wiping away a thin trail of blood from her skin from when she had bit her lip through the pain. Merlin wanted to laugh out loud at what she did next and the look on Malcolm's face as blood and spit hit him in the face.

Malcolm's shock turned to anger and once again he pushed the button and Hermione was screaming loudly on the floor. Her body was rigid, like that of an epileptic during a seizure until the pain subsided once more. Merlin admired her strength and resolve. Any other person would be whimpering and begging for the man to stop. Instead she shrugged off Malcolm's hand as he tried to help her again and forced herself to get back up into her chair.

Malcolm took the leash into his hand and asked her again. "Tell me about wandless magic."

She watched him for a moment before her voice spoke out. It was heavy with pain, but she did not waver one bit as she spoke. "Not everyone can do wandless magic. Only those that have been taught. I was one of those that have been taught."

"Can you do all spells without a wand?" Malcolm inquired.

"No." Was all she said.

"Care to clarify your answer?" Malcolm purred, happy with her acquiescence.

"No." She stated and once again she fell to the floor, but this time Merlin noted she fought the screams. It was as if every time she was knocked down she came back up twice as strong.

Because of her lack of screaming Malcolm extended the time that she remained under the torture. Merlin was pretty sure that the route the man was taking would only set the witch more against them. She needed to be wooed not tortured. Power sought power and did not take lightly to degradation.

Merlin regarded Hermione again as she lay panting on the floor after the pain once again had stopped. He had considered taking Draco's bracelet now that it was available, but seeing this woman and her strength. It flowed from her like lava, burning him in the process and he knew she had a grand destiny. He also knew at that moment that he wanted to be a part of that destiny, controlling it and molding it to suit himself. Yes this had indeed gone on long enough.

He walked over to the control panel on the side of the room and pushed a button. "Malcolm, I need to see you in the observation room immediately." When he released the button he watched the man inside the room as he turned to face the mirrored wall. The scowl of anger on his face was obvious and Merlin couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm busy at the moment, can this not wait?" Malcolm growled.

"No, it cannot. Now get your ass in here before I fire it." Merlin growled back.

"Watch her." Malcolm said with a sneer towards the guard at the door. The guard nodded silently and moved aside so Malcolm could leave the room.

Merlin meanwhile kept his piercing gaze on Hermione as she lifted her head and gave the mirror an assessing look. He could almost read the thoughts in her mind at that moment and knew that she was wondering just what she was in for next.


	17. Chapter 17

creeppieness – I'm sorry if I confused you in any way whatsoever with my characters. No Merlin was never killed. He had been told to take care of the old man in a way he deemed best and so he shot the old man and his handler. I hope that clears up the matter of his mortality. As to your review! Thanks so much! I really appreciate it and I'm glad that I have been able to update with such frequency. This story seems to have run away with me and when I get stuck I fall back on someone that has become a muse for me.

dancing in rain – Speak of the Devil! Its my muse! To answer your question hun about the pain of the collar, I had covered that in chapter 3. Here are a few snippets for you:

_but instead of hitting the guards with her spell she cried out loudly and collapsed down to her knees as the collar around her neck sent bolts of electricity down her spine._

And

_Pain equivalent to the Cruciatus curse racked her body and she collapsed down onto the ground, curling herself into a ball as she screamed in agony._

As to Merlin and Hermione..I think you will get a taste of that in this chapter. ;)

moonyNZ – Thank you so much. I myself was frustrated with the down time and was dancing the happy dance when I was able to read new stories again!

Mai Gamit – I hope your not having to say anything about the chapter was a bad thing. lol! If it was then I hope it will only get better and not worse for you. Thanks so much for the review!

Well onto the story!

* * *

"What the fuck do you want Merlin." Malcolm growled as he entered the observation room.

Merlin smirked over at the man and purred. "I just want you to know that Hermione is no longer your charge."

"Like hell she isn't!" Malcolm yelled.

"I would watch that temper of yours boy." Merlin's face turned dark in an instant and Malcolm recoiled in fear. The man wasn't dumb and knew what Merlin was capable of.

"What the fuck do you want her for?" Malcolm ground out as he started to detach the bracelet around his wrist.

"That is none of your business Malcolm. All I'll tell you is that your treatment of that witch has been abysmal and you will never tame her that way. Me on the other hand…I'll have her as a willing partner, not an unwilling sex slave." Merlin purred.

He took the bracelet that Malcolm handed over to him and attached it to his wrist. "I will tell Devon what a good boy you have been. It seems Draco Malfoy is in need of a new handler, and I know we won't have to fear you wanting to fuck him."

Malcolm gave Merlin an angry look. "Is that all you need of me?" He ground out through clenched teeth.

"Yes my boy that is all." Merlin said with a smile, turning his face from dark and evil to angelic and beautiful.

Malcolm walked out without another word, storming down the hallway until he crashed into someone. "Will you watch where you are fucking going." He spat out.

"My, my, looks like someone is in a snit." An oily voice replied.

Malcolm shot the man a glare and recognized Marcus Flint as he leaned up against the wall with arms crossed over his chest. The man was regarding him for a moment before he spoke up.

"Well, looks like someone lost their charge. Did you kill her or just try and fuck her too much?" Marcus said with an evil leer.

"Fuck off Flint." Malcolm growled as he tried to walk away. Marcus's hand was too fast though and he gripped Malcolm's arm tightly.

"Now, now, lets not be hasty. I think that you are not a happy camper having the beautiful Hermione taken away from you." Flint regarded him for a moment. "I'm not a happy camper either this morn. The one I was out to fuck lost her head and now I find myself wanting to use my frustrations for more advantageous purposes."

Malcolm looked at Flint, regarding him and wondering if the guy was speaking true. He could see the anger in the man's eyes and the muscles in his jaw were tight. Perhaps if they worked together, they just might be able to work their way up in the company and Malcolm would have an opportunity to get rid of that piece of shit Merlin.

"You don't sound happy with our boss yourself at the moment Flint." Malcolm said softly.

"Indeed I'm rather pissed off at the man and I look forward to when I can rip the man's fucking head off and piss down his neck." Flint growled.

The two men radiated anger when they stood there together and eventually a matching pair of evil grins formed on their faces. "This could be just the partnership needed to take em down don't you think?" Malcolm asked.

"I think that it would be the first time that I would have to agree with you my boy. How about I buy you a drink?" Flint responded.

"Sounds good." Malcolm replied and both men turned to leave the building.

* * *

Colin watched Hermione as she struggled to get herself back onto the chair. Gods where did she get her strength from? The pain that the collar seemed to give her looked extreme and he felt helpless that he couldn't do anything. They had been working so hard on infiltrating Crane Industries secret division and he could not ruin it now with his emotions.

He had no clue if these people were really witches or wizards, but he did know that Devon McCain would do anything to make his company top in the world. Their main headquarters was located in downtown Paris, but this division was in a remote location just outside of the city limits.

When Colin first arrived to work here he was shocked. Walking along the grounds would show nothing, an empty forest, but if you knew where to look you would find the entrance to the underground facility. It wasn't overly large, only 3 floors below the earth. The top level was the main security level. Here was the room with the multitude of monitors that were tied to the multitude of cameras throughout the building. The arms room, dog kennels and the security control room were all located on the first floor as well.

The second floor of the building was a medical facility for the new arrivals as well as living quarters for guards that never left the premises and deluxe suites for the likes of Devon should he choose to visit and his right hand man, Merlin. The third floor was where he was located currently. All the training rooms along with the main cell block were on this floor. It wasn't a large facility by any means, but the security was tight and its purposes were beyond evil.

Hermione rolled her head and glared at him while she sat there. He tried not to show any expression on his face lest he give himself away. Soon he hoped. Soon their contingent would sweep through like a wave and these people wouldn't have to endure this torture anymore. What he wondered though was what Interpol would do with the likes of these wizards and witches when the knowledge of their existence is fully known.

The door of the room opened but instead of Malcolm walking through Colin saw the right hand man himself. Dread filled him and he wondered what this poor woman would now have to endure at the hands of this vicious man.

* * *

Merlin watched Hermione as he walked into the room. She looked like she was trying to fight the involuntary twitches of her muscles but there was not a trace of pain showing on her face.

"Who are you?" She croaked as she looked up at him and he saw the recognition in her eyes.

"You. You are the bastard that killed them." She spat out.

"My dear, please. First let me apologize for the imbecile that was assigned to train you. Malcolm is a first class idiot that thinks with his cock instead of his head." Merlin said softly as he knelt down in front of Hermione. His hands reached up and he saw her flinch slightly before she realized his intentions.

"I won't disagree with your assessment." Hermione said softly as Merlin's fingers undid the leash attached to her collar.

"This will no longer be needed. You are a woman, not a pet to be dragged around." He said with a friendly tone.

She gave him an odd look, confused about his demeanor. "When was the last time you had a nice hot bath?" He asked softly.

Her eyes flickered hotly for a moment and he was able to taste a hint of desire from her. He chuckled softly. "From the look you just gave me I would say it has been too long." His expression changed and he looked sympathetically at her.

"Come." He said as he stood up and held out his hand. "I am to be your new handler and our first order of business is to get you into a nice hot bath and get you out of those ridiculous clothes." Merlin said with a smile.

Fear and distrust filled her eyes and her hand never moved from her lap. He watched her for a moment and then his mouth opened slightly in surprise.

"Oh dear. No, no, it is not like that my dear. Not at all like that. I just wish for you to feel comfortable and happy. Not like a whore tied up to a leash." Merlin said with a shocked tone.

Silence reigned for a moment before she hesitantly lifted her hand, placing it into Merlin's. "There you go." He said as he helped her up. He leaned forward, causing her to step back in fear again suddenly and he once again looked contrite. "I apologize again Miss Granger, I was only going to take your wand. I'm sure you will wish to keep it with you." His hand lifted the length of wood and pressed it into her palm.

Once again she looked at him with confusion. "Please, I really do want for you to feel as comfortable as possible. I know that removing the collar would give you the most comfort, but I'm afraid that my hands are tied on that one. I hope one day you will forgive me for that. For now though I hope that a bath, some proper clothes and a nice hot lunch will help."

He lifted his arm up to escort her out of the room, but she stood there warily looking at him. As if she made a mental decision to herself she lifted her hand and placed it upon his arm.

"Now I don't want you to worry about Malcolm again. He will not be sniffing around you anymore. Oh dear where are my manners. I have forgotten to introduce myself haven't I?" He watched her as she nodded silently.

"Well let me fix that." He turned to face her and took her hand in his, pulling it up to his mouth for him to kiss the back of her knuckles. "You may call me Merlin lady fair."

She gave him a 'you must be joking look'. "Ah I see you do not believe me. So was the existence of my childhood." He said with a chuckle. "Ridicule followed me everywhere, but I have survived and come to even like my name. Seems kind of fitting now with my involvement in all this doesn't it?"

She nodded slightly but still remained quiet. He smiled inwardly as he knew she was gauging him just as he would his own enemy. Every sentence that she neglected to utter meant he had to fill the void and possibly give her more information that she could use to her own advantage. Oh yes he had indeed picked right when he picked Hermione.

"Shall we away then?" He asked as he placed her hand upon his arm again.

She gave a slight nod and he led her out of the room towards the elevator. "We won't be needing you anymore. You may go back to guarding the block." Merlin threw over his shoulder at the guard.

"Yes sir." The guard called back.


	18. Chapter 18

Fantasy Loremaster – Thank you so much! I love new readers! I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story and I really hope that you continue to do so!

xxx-kisses-xxx – Just for you I'm thinking of doing something in the not so distant future so that they can get some time together as humans:) Thank you so much for your review!

moonyNZ - Flint and Malcolm got away from me and started that partnership on their own I swear! So I'm just as intrigued as by what they are going to have up their sleeves. lol I know that sounds weird, but just when I think I know where the story is going to go, it somehow changes and goes in a totally different direction. Thanks for the review, I hope you will continue to enjoy the story!

dancing in rain - I have a feeling people may even come to like the guy ;) We shall have to see how evil he can truly be. Rat in a maze…that could be fun! I may just have to work something like that in there! Lol Thanks again for all your inspiration and help!

PadfootsLuvr - YES! Lol Thanks for the review! I hope I don't get too evil for ya.

Mai Gamit – lol I think there is a lot under Merlin's skin…I don't think Hermione will like much of it though. Thanks for the review hun!

* * *

The room was quiet and everyone in it seemed to just look at each other apprehensively. There had been no other abductions, but Dumbledore had put the ministry on alert and people were being warned quietly to stay within the wizarding world. Remus and Harry were both wringing their hands, knowing that soon both of them would be key in trying to retrieve the missing wizards and witches.

When Severus entered the room, he almost paused and gaped at all the expectant faces that met his arrival. Instead he continued into the room with his robes billowing and his face set in a grim sneer. He let them all suffer for a moment before speaking.

"I have the potion with me, but we need to go over some of the finer points. First," Severus looked towards Harry and Remus. "You will need to both put a hair each into the vial before you drink it. This will bind the potion to both of you. Then the person who drinks first will be the beacon, and the second to drink will be the radar. Got it?" Severus asked in a no nonsense tone.

Both Remus and Harry nodded quietly.

"Remus, I have made up several vials of polyjuice potion for you as well. They may come in handy for you at some point as I have also made another potion that will prevent you from falling unconscious. Of course you will have to pretend to do so if they try." Severus continued.

Remus nodded and gave Severus an admiring look. "Brilliant thinking Severus."

Severus seemed stunned for a moment, but then just nodded accepting the compliment.

"I would recommend you cast a concealment spell so that if they try and search you they will not retrieve the polyjuice potions." Severus said.

"I will do that." Remus stated.

"And Potter, I expect to go with you when you follow." Severus growled as he looked over to Harry.

"I wouldn't have expected otherwise Severus." Harry said.

The group all relaxed somewhat when Severus finished and Dumbledore took this time to speak up. "I trust you will all be very careful, but I have confidence in you all to save all that you are able. I just pray that we are not too late."

The group looked grim but all nodded agreeing with the Headmaster's statement.

"We can't be too late…" Harry whispered softly so that only Severus and Remus could hear. Both men looked at him but his gaze was off in the distance as his heart desperately ached for his best friend to be back with him.

* * *

To say that Hermione was shocked when the strange man entered the room after Malcolm had mysteriously left was an understatement. She immediately recognized him as the one that killed the old man and his handler and she couldn't help but recoil in fear. This one was dangerous indeed and when he started speaking to her she could hear the soothing tone and couldn't help but relax a little.

Hermione wasn't born yesterday though and this man was a killer and the enemy. He didn't flinch when that gun blew away the old man's head and only looked down upon his handler with a cold callous glare. She saw the way his eyes were, and they were the complete opposite at this very moment. He was angelic in so many ways, but Hermione knew there was a demon beneath the exterior.

When he commented on a bath, she couldn't help but feel a strong desire to soak herself in hot water and rid herself of the several days she had spent without one. She complimented the man in her mind because he knew just how to strike a woman when she was down. He was up to something, and the silver bracelet on his arm had not been unnoticed. He was indeed her new handler and she wasn't sure if she should be scared or happy.

He led her out of the training room eventually and instead of heading towards her cell, they turned the opposite direction and headed towards an elevator. Hermione hugged her wand close to her for without Sirius with her, it was her only form of comfort at that very moment.

They entered the elevator and the man pushed the second floor button. Hermione made note that there were only 3 floors to the elevator and that their cells were located on the the 3rd level. Now whether that was up or down she did not know, but she stored the knowledge away for later.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a long hallway of doors and Merlin walked out, leading Hermione along with him to the very end of the hall.

"These are my quarters when I stay at the facility. They will be yours now for the rest of your stay. Do not worry yourself, I shall occupy another room. I'm not out to bed you Hermione. I believe that you and I can be friends." He said softly as if talking to a skittish deer.

Perhaps she was a little overly skittish she thought to herself. She had yet to speak with him, but she had been gauging all of his chatter with her and knew that this man had an agenda and somehow she fit into it. What it was she had to find out though. Finally though she decided to use her voice.

"What about my dog?" She said softly.

"I will have him sent up immediately. I only wish to make you as comfortable as possible my dear. When you are in the bath I will have clothes sent for, and if they are not to your liking just let me know and I will get new items for you." He said with seeming sincerity.

Hermione was still so wary of this man, but the room when she entered distracted her. She couldn't help but gasp out loud. Walking farther into the room she saw the sunken living room with a grand fireplace placed in the center of it. The ceiling vaulted two floors up and a balcony led to what must be the bedroom and bathroom. A kitchen was off to her left and it was a grand affair. All the appliances were stainless with a huge island that had several stools in front of it.

"It's beautiful." She said softly.

"Thank you, I tried to make it as homey as possible. Now you probably have many questions to ask, but I believe you wished for a bath. Please let me show you where the bathroom is and you can get yourself all washed up while I retrieve your clothes and dog. Then after that I will answer any questions that you have." He said softly.

Hermione nodded and let herself be led once again. The two headed up the stairs and when he opened the bathroom door she walked in and looked around.

"There are assorted oils and bubble baths in the cupboard, please help yourself." Merlin said before pulling the door closed, leaving her by herself for the first time in days.

She walked towards the mirror and got a good look at herself. 'Merlin, if Harry got a look at me now he would laugh hysterically.' She thought to herself as she turned this way and that to get a good look at the outfit that Malcolm made her put on. 'To have proper clothing, it will be a dream come true.'

Hermione promptly rid herself of the offending clothing and threw them in the garbage muttering 'Good Riddance' softly to herself as she did. She grabbed a large fluffy towel and placed it near the bath while she ran the water and decided on some nice jasmine scented bath salts to soak in. Soon she was ensconced in the luxurious scent and the water soothed her somewhat frayed nerves.

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the bathtub for but the sudden thud against the door startled her and she turned in the tub to face the door. "Hello?" She called out and the responding barks and whines let her know that Sirius was here. He scratched, whined and barked at the door until she heard Merlin's voice.

"Hermione, he is rather distraught so if you don't mind me saving my door from more claw marks I'm going to let him in." The door opened slightly and then suddenly Sirius burst into the room scrabbling to gain a proper purchase upon the floor as his paws skidded against the tiles.

"Snuffles…Snuffles calm down I'm ok…no Snuffles! No!" Hermione said with wide eyes as the dog ran straight for her. Soon she was naked in the tub with a thoroughly wet dog that was licking her repeatedly on the face.

"You ok in there Hermione?" Merlin called out.

"Um, well my bath is now filled with a dog which I must say is killing the point of my bath salts. But I'm fine thank you." She gave Sirius a chastising look.

After the initial elation of being together again, both wizard and witch suddenly realized their situation. Sirius stared down into the tub, his tongue lolled out and Hermione wondered if he was about to drool. She screeched and covered herself suddenly and felt her cheeks burning furiously.

"Bad Dog! Snuffles out this instant!" She yelled and she could hear chuckling on the other side of the door. Sirius cocked his head to the side and she couldn't help but laugh as the dog winked at her and then jumped out of the tub, shaking himself so that it sent water spraying everywhere.

Hermione grumbled about her bath water being ruined and Sirius yelped when she said, "I should have you neutered for this!"

"I'll leave you two alone now." Merlin called through the door. "Your clothes have been put on the bed in the room adjoining the washroom. Take as long as you need. It is your food that is next on my list."

Hermione felt odd about the thanks that she yelled back. When his footsteps receded down the stairs she glared at Sirius. "You are so dead Padfoot." She couldn't help but chuckle softly though but soon turned serious. "I don't trust him as far as I could throw him, so don't you go worrying yourself ok?"

Sirius whined and lay down facing the bathroom door, letting her know in no uncertain circumstances that he was going to guard her with his life.

"Thank you Snuffles." She whispered and he turned to look at her once before resuming his guard duty, leaving Hermione to finish up her bath without worrying about him watching.


	19. Chapter 19

Just reposting this chapter to fix a minor error caught by my muse dancing in rain. I'm so embarrassed! I just finished watching the third movie yet again so my brain must have been in third year mode! Forgive me please!

Elbereth Gilthoniel – Holy Crap thanks for the awesome review! I really hope you will continue to enjoy the story!

Mai Gamit – Thank you so much! I'm so glad people found that chapter amusing. I could totally picture it in my mind and so I couldn't resist having Sirius do it! Lol

dancing in rain – I haven't decided yet if I'm going to set this story near a full moon or not. It has been running through my mind and could definitely cause some major mayhem! I think I'll be just as surprised as everyone else as to what the answer to that one will be. Lol It is amazing how this story just seems to be writing itself..well with a little help from my muse! Thanks so much for all the insight that you give to me hun.

moonyNZ – I think only Padfoot could have done that and not have been killed by an irate Hermione. Lol I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the review and I can only hope that I can continue to keep the story interesting for you.

lee74 – Thank you so much for the review! Here is the next chapter for ya! I hope you like it.

PadfootsLuvr – I'm glad that you are feeling all the emotions you have been. It is a real compliment and I hope that I can continue to keep your emotions all jumbled about! Lol Thank you very much for the review!

Forgive me all as this is not one of my best chapters, but I hope it isn't overly bad! On with the story!

* * *

Ginny was impressed at how quick Draco was in learning sign language. He had mastered the alphabet early as Hermione had taught him the basics and now they were working on the signs for words. After awhile they chose to take a break and simply talk to one another.

"**Are you ok?"** Draco signed.

"**Yes."** She replied.

Draco watched her for a moment and then his hands moved as he signed to her again. **"Are you ok? Really?"**

"**I'm scared."** She signed back.

Draco nodded and then smirked for a moment before signing again**. "Aren't you supposed to be a Gryffindor? Where is all that hope and courage you 're supposed to have?" **

Ginny's eyes flashed with anger and then she started to chuckle softly. Trust Draco to be Dracoish at a time like this.

"**Seeing a man get his head blown off can shake the bravest of souls I think**." She replied.

Draco signed back, **"I agree."** He noticed Ginny's eyes flicker beyond him and he turned to look down the aisle. A guard walked down to Hermione's cell and took some time in convincing the dog within, but eventually he managed to clip a leash onto it and led it out of the cell block. When the wizard and witch were sure they were alone their hands started to move at the same time.

Draco indicated that Ginny go first and so she started moving her hands. **"What is going on with Hermione do you think?"**

"**I can't be sure really. I thought it was a training session, but it has been too long. To take the dog away as well…it worries me." **Draco gave a concerned look before it turned curious. **"When did Hermione get a dog?"**

"**Oh, he is a new addition to her house." **Ginny lied.

Draco's brow furrowed and his gray eyes turned steely. **"You are lying to me."**

"**Yes, but it is not my place to tell." **She admitted.

Draco didn't seem to want to accept the answer, but he simply nodded and allowed it to rest.

"**Will you tell me of the training sessions? I'm worried." **Ginny signed to Draco.

"**I don't want to because I hate to picture you going through them, but I will if you really want."** He replied.

She gave him an affirmative nod and Draco spent the rest of their day trying to explain all that he had learned about the company from his experiences and why they were living in this hell at the current time.

* * *

Harry walked up behind his friend and rested a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get them back Ron."

Ron didn't move his gaze from the window. He wasn't looking at anything in particular, just off in the distance somewhere while his mind sorted through memories from long ago.

"I feel like I'm back in second year." Ron said softly.

Harry settled in beside him, letting his own gaze wander aimlessly over the street below.

"I know, but you were brilliant then. If you hadn't been there for me and Hermione we never would have killed the basilisk." Harry replied.

"You killed the basilisk. My crappy wand caused that cave in and I wasn't able to help you one bit." Ron muttered. "My own sister could have died because of me."

"Ron, don't you even remember Lockehart trying to Obliviate us? If it wasn't for your crappy wand we wouldn't have remembered that Ginny was even in the Chamber of Secrets." Harry said as he looked at his friend's profile.

They both stood silently for a while, Harry's gaze back upon the view out the window and Ron's gaze was glassy as he stared into nothing.

"We may have our fights Ginny and I, but I love her and I would die for her Harry." Ron said softly.

"I understand mate, I truly do." Harry replied.

Ron finally tore his gaze away from the window and looked at his friend's profile. "Yeah I guess you do. So when are we set to leave? By the way do we really have to tolerate Snape?" Ron's voice started to sound incredulous and Harry laughed in response.

"Ron, mate to save Hermione and Ginny I would be willing to drag Voldemort along if I knew he would help." Harry said with a smirk.

Ron shivered visibly. "Well thank Merlin he is dead and you aren't tempted to do just that." He muttered.

Harry laughed and clapped Ron on the back.

"Hey, is dinner ready yet? I'm famished." Ron asked which caused Harry to laugh even more.

"Lets go check, I'm sure we can find something to eat if it isn't." Harry replied and both friends turned to fill their bellies.

* * *

Merlin had listened in at the door hearing the loud splash and yells of Hermione and figured that the dog had joined her. He chuckled as she yelled at the dog and asked if she was ok. Her response had seemed so natural, as if she had been talking with a friend and not stuck as a prisoner. Perhaps he was one step closer to his goal of her acceptance of him.

He called out to her letting her know that he was going to get her food ready and started to head down the stairs, chuckling on the way down. He made it halfway down before he realized what he was doing. His hand flew up to his lips and he wondered at the smile upon them. It was a rare thing for him these days to smile about something other than power and money.

He shook his head and scowled as he continued his path down to the kitchen. The meal only needed to be heated as he had sent one of his men to retrieve it while he concentrated on her clothing and the dog. Soon he would have to face a barrage of her questions, but he would refuse her until she had a meal in her belly.

* * *

Hermione wrapped the towel around herself as she stepped out of the bath. She took a moment to survey the destruction of the beautiful washroom. "We sure did a number on this room Snuffles." She said with amusement.

The dog turned his eyes towards her and she felt her cheeks redden with the knowledge that he had seen her very naked just a short while ago. Hermione shifted uncomfortably for a moment and then pointed over her shoulder with her thumb as she spoke.

"I'm..I think I'll just get changed now. I'll be right back ok?"

Sirius gave a slight nod and Hermione could feel his gaze on her until she was through the doorway. She paused when she entered the bedroom and sighed deeply. The fact that Sirius did not seem repulsed by her body was a good thought to her and she felt her stomach flutter with butterflies as she pictured Sirius in the bathtub as a man and not a dog with her. Hermione closed her eyes and gasped softly as a wave of warmth rippled through her core and her skin prickled with goose bumps at the mere thought of his skin on hers.

Her breathing was a little shallow as she opened her eyes and refocused on the room and she had to give herself a shake to clear her mind. The room was beautiful with a giant king sized bed within. Her eyes focused on the clothing that lay upon the dark burgundy comforter and she about squealed out loud when she saw the pair of cotton knickers and the simple lace bra.

After she put on her undergarments, she allowed herself to look at the outfit that was laid out for her. It was beautiful and she prayed that it would look just as lovely on her. The pants were straight legged and cream coloured with a matching jacket that had a belt about the waist. The sleeveless blouse was an emerald green and the material was a glorious silk. It was dressy yet business like and it was perfect for her she thought to herself.

"Damn it he is good." She muttered as she reached for the pants to put them on. When she had slipped on the entire outfit, she belted the jacket loosely but enough that the curve of her waist was accented. Now her eyes drifted to the shoe box and she admired the most gorgeous pair of strappy sandals that were inside. After Hermione slipped them on she walked over to the floor length mirror on the one wall and couldn't help but be pleased with how she looked.

Hermione watched as her cheeks started to redden when she thought of what Sirius would think of her in this outfit. "Why delay it?" she muttered to herself and entered the bathroom once again.

Sirius turned his head when he heard the tap of the shoes against the tile and his head snapped into place. 'Merlin she is beautiful.' He thought to himself. The outfit that she was in was before was revealing, but Sirius hated it because it was not Hermione. This on the other hand had to have been made for the beautiful witch.

She twirled in front of him while holding her arms out. "You like?"

Sirius couldn't help himself as he walked over to her slowly, never taking his eyes off of hers. When he got within a foot of her he let himself fall to the ground and rolled over onto his back.

Hermione giggled and knelt down to rub his chest, letting her fingers slide through his slightly damp coat. "I'll take that as a yes." She said before standing up again.

She completed getting ready buy drying her hair and applying a light coat of makeup that was found in the vanity. When she was done she leaned back against the counter and looked down at Sirius. "I'm worried about him. I'm worried as to why he wants me here and why he is doing all this. Watch him Snuffles, when I'm not around him watch him really carefully. Maybe one of us will get a whiff of what his plan may be."

Sirius gave her an approving nod and the two of them seemed to collect themselves before Hermione opened the door to face the next challenge before them.


	20. Chapter 20

Mai Gamit – This whole story is a challenge for me. Lol Really glad that you are still enjoying it! Thank you so much for the review!

dancing in rain – Thank you so much for catching my error! All fixed now! I was feeling that Hermione and Sirius weren't getting enough time to be at all romantic so I felt I had to give them some. The next few chapters may focus on them a bit more, we shall see. ;)

moonyNZ – I can't believe this is chapter 20 myself! I'm so thankful that it has been pouring out of me and each time I've been at all stuck I've just had to ask dancing in rain one question and she seems to inspire me. :) Thank you so much for your review!

Remus Gurl – Thank you so much! I'm so thrilled you gave the story a chance and that you enjoyed it! I really hope I can keep it just as good till the very end.

* * *

Hermione sucked in a deep breath and gathered her nerves before leaving the bathroom to face the enemy. The smells that assailed her nose were enough to make her mouth water and her stomach growled loudly. Sirius tilted his head up to look at her and she grimaced as she looked down at him.

"Not very ladylike is it?" She blushed furiously as she realized how conscious she was of Sirius's thoughts of her.

"Here goes nothing." She said softly before stepping down onto a step and continued on down till she could see Merlin working in the kitchen.

"Now don't think I was the cook, I'm just good at reheating really." Merlin called out to her as she approached. When he looked up he stopped moving and tilted his head.

"Ah that is much more you I think. Do you like the outfit?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes, it is beautiful. Thank you very much." She said softly, feeling traitorous for actually feeling thankful for her new clothing.

"Well it was rather foolish of Malcolm to expect you to wear that awful getup. Now I know that you want questions answered, but I insist you eat first." Merlin stated.

Hermione nodded and sat down on one of the stools at the island. She watched him quietly as he prepared their food, scooping it out of cartons and onto warmed plates from the oven. "I hope you like Chinese food…" he said.

"I do." She replied softly.

"Good." He said as he placed a plate in front of her. He removed the oven mitt from his hand and placed a fork and a pair of chopsticks beside it. "I didn't know what you preferred using."

She reached for the chopsticks, knowing that it would prevent her from shoveling the food into her mouth. Her diet in the cell had basically consisted of bread and a flavourless stew so when the different tastes hit her mouth she couldn't help but moan softly and close her eyes.

Sirius couldn't tear his gaze away from Hermione and Merlin filled a plate for him and set it down onto the floor. "Here ya go boy."

At that moment though it wasn't the food he wanted to eat, but he didn't want to give himself away so he acted as any dog would and gobbled up the food on the plate. Had he been human when he watched Hermione taking her first few bites he probably would have moaned himself. It wasn't hard to imagine her face being like that in the throes of sex and it was enough to make him hard. Thank Merlin for his fur to cover himself up.

Merlin sat down and started to eat as well, so all three of them were silent until Hermione's belly felt sated. When she pushed the plate away she wiped her mouth with her napkin and sat back regarding her handler.

"Why are you my handler now?" She asked bluntly.

Merlin looked at her for a few moments. "Why? Because you were wasted on Malcolm. He was a fool that could not see your potential, instead he saw a warm body to fuck."

"What makes you think I will be more cooperative with you?"

"I respect you as a brilliant mind as well as a beautiful woman. I know you feel like you are a captive, but you could be so much more. I want to offer that to you." He stated.

"Why would I want to work with someone that kills a defenseless old man?"

"That old man and his handler had been destroying people's lives for the fun of it Hermione." He stated.

She laughed. "You expect me to believe an old wizard who is collared is destroying lives for the fun of it. That is rich."

"You saw the relationship between them, do you really believe that they would not work together for a mutual cause?" He asked.

"Not when he had a collar around his neck and was placed within a cell. Cut the crap Merlin and just tell the truth. Your company captured someone whose magic was waning and instead of releasing him so that he could warn others your company had him killed." She said in a matter of fact tone.

Merlin sat and regarded her for a moment before continuing. "Perhaps I have misjudged you somewhat Hermione. Tell me, what is your view on power? Who do you consider powerful?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "I know that you are not the one with power here."

His eyes flared angrily from her comment. "You are the one with the collar on."

"True. I still hold to who I am though. I am not broken and nor will I be. Tell me, did you feel power when you killed the old man?" She asked, her eyes glinting curiously.

"It is powerful to take another life, so yes I felt power when I did so." He stated.

She laughed again causing his ire to rise again. "I think you are just a lackey." She continued.

"I think you are overstepping yourself Hermione and I would tread carefully." Merlin growled.

"Oh just listen will you, you asked my opinion and I'm giving it." She growled back. "You hold no true power because the greatest leaders, the ones with the greatest of power never have to get their hands dirty."

She sat back and smiled, letting him digest her words for a moment. "It was your boss's bidding that you rid the company of the man was it not? So tell me was it you or him that holds higher power?"

Merlin stared at her in awe. "Damn you are good woman. So tell me," He walked around the island and stepped close to her, tipping her head up with his finger so that she looked up at him. "What do you think of power? Is it something you crave?" His voice was low and seductive.

She gave him a seductive look. "I think power is the greatest of seductions. Who doesn't wish to achieve the greatest glory. Your boss does it this very moment as he tries to harness our power for his use. You are doing it now as you try and seduce me with bubbles and silks, and I'm doing it now as I try to seduce you with my abilities."

A low growling was heard and she chuckled softly as she tilted her face away from Merlin to look down at Sirius. "He is very protective of me." She said.

"I can understand why." Merlin stated, pulling away from her and clearing away the plates. "You are right of course. Power is a seductive thing, but so is self preservation."

Hermione watched Merlin as he cleaned the plates in the sink. "That is true. It would be foolish of you not to realize that I will do anything to remove this collar from my neck." She said to his back.

"So it looks as if we are at an impasse at the moment doesn't it? Do I trust you and believe that you seek power just as I do? Or do I not trust you and believe that you would do anything to escape?" Merlin wiped his hands on a towel and turned to face her.

"No matter what I believe though Hermione, you are mine."

The two of them stared at each other for a few minutes before Merlin broke the silence. "You will be sleeping here as I said from now on. Please make yourself at home. There is food in the refrigerator and I placed some nightclothes and other clothing in the drawers for you upstairs. I will let you be for the rest of the day and tomorrow if you wish it I let you visit your friends down in the cells."

Hermione looked surprise for a moment. "And if you cooperate, I will eventually give you free run of the second and third floor of the facility. Perhaps you may wish to even tutor the child if it will make you happy." He continued.

"Until tomorrow then." Merlin stated and after he left the room Hermione could hear the lock turn.

"From one cell to another Snuffles. At least this one is nicer though." She said with a sigh. Hermione walked over to the couch and slumped down into it. Sirius followed and hopped onto the couch, snuggling close to the young witch and resting his head on her lap.

Hermione pet his head distractedly. "I wish we could just have moments like this without them watching us, I wish you could truly be here for me so that I can feel you holding me."

* * *

Merlin stood in the hall as he thought on his conversation with Hermione. He thought of his loyalties to Devon and his own craving for power. Would he ever truly be powerful if he was under the yoke of his boss?

He scrubbed his chin with his hand and contemplated all the possibilities of the future with Devon as his boss, and then he wondered at a future where Devon had been disposed of and he was at the top. With Hermione at his side the second thought could be very achievable. Could he woo her to his cause? Money and power was a seductive thing, even she said it.

He smirked slightly and decided that he was going to make Hermione very aware of what money and power can do for someone. With plans in mind he made his way out of the building, Devon would be expecting a report soon and Merlin should keep his boss waiting. For now he would play the devoted right hand man, for now he would die for his boss but when the time was right the balance of power would shift and at that time Devon will not even realize it till too late.


	21. Chapter 21

Long Chapter…heh I really hope I did this justice. keeps fingers crossed

PadfootsLuvr – I'm just glad that you are enjoying the updates! I do them quite frequently so I know some will be reading several chapters by the time they get back to reading it. Thank you so much for your review though, I'm really happy that you enjoyed the last two chapters!

Elbereth Gilthoniel - grins I don't even know yet! These guys just keep beating me over the head telling me which way to turn next when I sit down to write the next chapter. We will all find out in the end though. Lol Thank you so much for reviewing, I'm glad you are enjoying the story!

Mai Gamit – They weren't put back in the cell winks They are still in Merlin's so I think you may enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for saying the story gets better and better, I take that as such a big compliment and I pray that I can continue to do so.

dancing in rain – hee hee I have some ebil plans for how Ginny and Draco will be discovering Hermione's relocation! does the I'm ebil dance Ok I'm nutters I know. Thank you so much yet again hun for letting me but you for your thoughts! I really appreciate them so much.

lee74 – Really glad you are still enjoying the story! Thank you so much for the review!

moonyNZ – Thank you so much…I really hope this chapter is ok for you!

* * *

"No Sir, no one has come back to the house. Should we shut down?" A man said into a phone as he watched Hermione Granger's house.

"No you fool, someone will be back. They are laying low and waiting for things to clear before they investigate again." The agitated voice of Merlin spoke through the phone.

"I don't think that anyone will be coming sir, not after losing another witch in the place." The man stated.

"Are you questioning my authority Alex?" Merlin's voice took on a darker tone and Alex shuddered. This was the wrong man to cross or question and so he quickly tried to save his ass.

"No sir, you are right sir. We will continue to watch the residence." Alex replied.

"Good, I suspect you should see something soon." Merlin purred. "You know what to do when they arrive. Contact me when the job is done."

"Yes Sir." Alex replied and he hung up the phone grumbling quietly at how no one would be stupid enough to come back to the house. Soon, after he hung up though he noticed something moving in the yard.

He picked up his nightscope goggles and lifted them to his eyes. "Well fuck me silly, the bastard was right." Alex stated with awe.

He grabbed his walkie talkie and alerted his team. Soon they would be carting another wizard or witch to the base.

* * *

Remus apparated to Hermione's and he immediately picked up the scents of several humans surrounding him. He smiled grimly to himself, knowing that their plan was going to be set into motion immediately.

Severus had made sure that Harry and him drank the locator potion and assured them that its affects would not wear off until the counter potion was ingested. The one that would prevent him from falling unconscious though only lasted for 24 hours so he tipped the small vial and let the liquid slip down his throat. They would take him now, so he needed to be prepared.

His hand rested on the plastic vials of polyjuice potion that were concealed within his robes. He had an idea of how he would use it, but he had to get the timing just right. The potion would only last for an hour for each dose and he had enough for 4 doses. Reassuring himself that the vials were in place and his concealing spell was working, his hand rubbed against the bracelet around his wrist. Dangling from it was a small wooden charm that looked very similar to a magic wand. It was Harry that recommended that he shrink his wand and wear it inconspicuously so that he would not be disarmed.

So it was that Remus was as prepared as he could possibly be when one was expecting to be kidnapped. He approached Hermione's front door and glanced around, as if acting wary of anyone finding him there. When he entered the house he heard someone approaching him from behind.

Remus let the man approach supposedly unnoticed and allowed his body to tense suddenly when the man made his move. He fell backwards to give the man a fight as a cloth was placed over his nose and mouth. The smell was acrid and he felt like gagging from it, but this was to knock him out so that they could cart him elsewhere.

He could feel the potion working in his system, counteracting the pungent smells that threatened to send him into oblivion. Remus stumbled to the side, falling into another wall as if to make a last ditch attempt at gaining his freedom. Soon he fell to his knees and then he relaxed his body, causing the man holding the cloth against his mouth to fall over so that both of them crashed to the ground.

Remus evened out his breathing and kept his eyes closed.

"He's out. Tie him up and lets get him into the van." One of the men said to another.

Remus felt ropes being tied to his wrists and ankles and then two men lifted his dead weight and dumped him into the back of a van. "I called the boss and he says to bring him to the facility immediately. He says the jet is waiting."

"Good, then lets get the fuck out of here. I'm tired of looking at this shitty house." Alex growled.

* * *

Hermione and Sirius had spent the day comforting each other on the couch and when she was positive that Merlin, or anyone else, would not be visiting her she decided it was time for some sleep. The thought of the bed filled her mind then and she almost melted on the spot. To sleep in a proper bed again will feel so wonderful she thought to herself.

They both headed up the stairs and the first thing that Hermione did when she entered the room was to look all around it. Sirius gave her a confused look as he sat beside her until she smiled suddenly. Hermione grabbed the towel she had used to dry off and walked to a corner of the room. She threw the towel up and it landed neatly on the camera that was mounted near the ceiling.

Having done this she immediately turned to Sirius and waved her finger at him, indicating to him not to think of shifting back to human form. There could be other cameras, but at least one of them would be disabled.

She looked around the room again and once again smiled. A CD player sat on top of one of the dressers with a small rack of assorted CDs beside it. They were all rather old but she saw one by Enya that she loved and popped it into the player. When the music started she turned it up and moved the radio closer to the bed so that it would cover up any quiet chatter that she had with Sirius.

Hermione was sure that Sirius would want an explanation of what she was up to so she would give it to him. Satisfied that she had done what she could she pulled the blankets down before turning to find a pair of pajamas that had been put into a drawer for her. They were a beautiful sapphire blue satin pair of pants and a sleeveless tanktop to match.

She glanced around to find where Sirius was and noticed that he had burrowed himself into the bed. Hermione chuckled softly while shaking her head knowing the feeling well because she had wanted to do the very same thing. She placed her new outfit neatly over the chair so that it wouldn't get ruined and slipped on the pajamas before turning out the light.

Fumbling around a bit she managed to make her way to the side of the bed and flipped on the side light, not quiet ready to enclose herself to the full darkness. She had been forced to sleep in full light the past few days, she almost felt weird having them off. Hermione slipped into the bed and started to pull the covers up over her when she felt a hand brush against her arm and she jumped with a slight screech before covering her mouth quickly.

Lifting the blanket she saw Sirius's face grinning up at her as he buried himself deeper under them and she gave him an angry glare. He mouthed 'I'm Sorry' to her and she shook her head and chuckled softly. Her body slid further under the covers and she pulled them up over her head so that Sirius and her were facing each other as they lay down.

His hand reached up and slid over her neck and stopped when his fingers wrapped gently around to touch her spine with their tips. The pad of his thumb meanwhile stroked softly in front of her ear and she closed her eyes and sighed softly. When she opened her eyes it was to look deeply into his.

"What were you doing down there Hermione?" He whispered.

She regarded him for a moment and could feel that he was coiled tightly, as if he was reigning in a fuse that was ready to blow.

"I don't know what I'm doing Sirius. I have never been in a situation like this before and I'm just flying by the seat of my pants. I do know a fair bit about muggles though and if there is one thing that I know, muggles like Merlin are corrupt and seek power. I also know that many muggle corporations will fail because of corruption in its inner workings. If I can get Merlin to fight against his boss, then perhaps I can throw a monkey wrench into their plans somehow. I just know that I need to buy some time so that we can figure out a way to get out of this place. If that means trying to get Merlin to trust me, then that is what I have to do." She spoke quickly but quietly so that her tone didn't go above the music that filled the room.

"How very Slytherin of you." Sirius said with a smirk.

Hermione chuckled softly. "I guess Draco must have rubbed off on me when we were together."

She saw Sirius's eyes harden suddenly and wondered if it was perhaps jealousy. Actually she kind of hoped it was jealousy. "We are just friends though now. I think he has a thing for Ginny that he refuses to acknowledge. They would be good for each other. He needs family."

Sirius watched her eyes as they looked sad for Draco. It was so difficult for him to envision her with another man, he wished that it was him that could have loved her, comforted her and warmed her bed. Of course he was technically warming her bed at the moment.

"Sirius Black what is that leer for hmm?" She asked with a smirk.

He cleared his throat and gave her an innocent smile. "What leer? I don't leer."

"Sure. Weren't you the sex God of Hogwarts in your time, I'm sure those eyes did more than just look into a girl's eyes as they passed you by." She said playfully but frowned when she saw a touch of hurt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Sirius, did I say something wrong?" Her hand reached up to caress his cheek and her eyes drifted over his face, recalling each detail of it.

She stroked his cheek with her fingertips and he murmured softly to her. "You do realize you are petting me?"

Hermione chuckled softly. "You do realize you are enjoying it?"

"Mmm" he responded, closing his eyes as she continued to look at his face.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful your face is to me?" She said softly, regarding each feature.

"Men don't have beautiful faces." He muttered with his eyes still closed.

She chuckled softly, "Ok handsome then."

"Much better." He said with a smile, his eyes still closed as he enjoyed her touch on his face.

Hermione watched him and couldn't help herself. With all that had been happening to her, she could not let another moment pass without this man knowing how she felt about him. She tilted her face slightly and leaned forward, letting her lips press lightly against his.

It had hurt to be reminded of his age and that he was nearly twenty years her senior. Far too old for her to be with the likes of him, so instead all he could do was enjoy the touches she gave. Feather light and oh so soft, her hands felt glorious on him. When he felt the touch of her lips against his he recoiled backwards with a look of shock on his face. Hermione immediately looked hurt and he tried to use his voice.

"Hermione, I'm old..to old for you. Harry..Godson.." For an ex-Sex God of Hogwarts he sure was a blubbering idiot when it counted.

"Sirius Black don't you dare call yourself old." She gave him a chastising look.

The two of them lay there in silence until Hermione spoke up. "I'm sorry Sirius, I thought… I don't think our ages matter because you are young for wizarding years and well, it just doesn't matter to me. I understand though that you think me too young and don't wish to be with me. I just thought perhaps you might have liked me a little, but I realize I was just being hopeful."

Sirius tried to speak but Hermione kept on talking.

"And I understand that it might feel weird for you to have any feelings for your Godson's best friend. It was a mistake, I'm fine with being friends really."

He tried to speak up again but once again she continued to babble.

"Please just forget I ever did that. I don't want to offend you in any way because you are special to me…" She couldn't continue with her words though because Sirius's mouth had effectively silenced hers when his lips pressed against them.

Her eyes widened with surprise but then her body relaxed and she joined in the kiss, letting her lips skim against his and enjoying the softness of them. The scruff on his face from several days growth chafed the skin around her lips, but the feel of his tongue against her lips overshadowed any discomfort. Her mind was reeling and she grabbed the back of his hair as if to anchor him to her. She opened her mouth, granting him access to its recesses and her own tongue explored.

A soft moan escaped and it took Hermione a second to realize that it was her own moan. Instinctively her body shifted towards Sirius, pressing her chest against his as if she couldn't get close enough to him. Sirius wrapped his arm around her and his fingers traced circles over her back and he smiled against her lips when he felt her body shiver against him.

It was a dream come true for him. He didn't think he could have been happier when she told him that his age did not matter to her, but when he had to silence her rambling with his kiss he realized that he was wrong. He could be happier, he was happier. His entire body hardened against her, each muscle in his body taught from each delicious wave of pleasure that ran through him. When her tongue stroked his own and he heard her moan he knew he would have to stop soon. They were still in danger of being discovered and every moment that he was human was a danger to his cover being blown.

When they did break apart, they were both panting. "Wow." Hermione said.

"Wow." Sirius replied.

"Sirius I.." Hermione started.

"Hermione I.." Sirius started at the very same moment.

They both stopped at the same time and laughed softly. "Please, let me.." Sirius pleaded.

Hermione nodded and stroked his cheek once again while he spoke.

"I have to tell you this. With everything that is going on, I need you to know should anything ever happen to me…I love you." He watched her carefully, wanting to gauge what her reaction would be and trying desperately not to cringe at the thought of what her thoughts would be on the matter.

She smiled warmly. "Sirius, I loved you as Harry's Godfather. Harry is so important in my life, and you were able to be like a parent to him when he had none. When we lost you, it wasn't just Harry that mourned deeply. I did as well." She paused for a few moments and Sirius lay quietly wondering where she was going to end up in this conversation.

"Back then though I think it was a child's love for an adult they respect. When you were brought back to us I couldn't help but develop a bit of a crush on you." She blushed deeply.

Sirius snorted softly because it was Hermione that brought him back to this world. It was her that had been his savior, not just once but twice including the time in her third year at Hogwarts.

"I didn't think you liked me that way though, until recently that is. Like the bath…" She didn't think her cheeks could burn anymore than they were at that moment.

"I guess what I'm trying to say, which I'm doing such a horrible job at, is this. I love you Sirius Black." She leaned forward and gave him another kiss, which deepened once again and after awhile they broke apart gasping.

"What about Harry though? I can't hurt my Godson." Sirius inquired.

"What about Harry?" Hermione gave Sirius a confused look until she realized what he meant. "Ohhhh you think Harry and I? That we? Oh sweet Merlin no. We tried that once and it was like kissing my brother."

Sirius laughed softly at the expression on her face. It was obviously not a pleasant situation for them.

"Harry once said this to me and I believe it to be true. Soulmates. They don't have to be lovers it is just the reunion of two souls that were meant to be bound together, whether it be in friendship or love. This is what Harry and I are, if I were ever to lose him a part of me would be missing and the same for him. I know that he is out there now, doing whatever it takes to bring me back to him." Tears filled her eyes as she thought of her soulmate.

"I envy you both that." He said softly.

"But Sirius you don't understand. I think you are another piece of my soul. When I dreamed of you beyond the veil, I didn't feel it was just a dream. Your soul cried out to me and I had to respond to feel complete. Of course it could have just been the hopeful dreams of a teenager." She gave him a sheepish grin.

"I know I would not feel complete without you in my life Hermione. Whether we are lovers or not, you are so deeply ingrained here…" He took her hand and placed it against his chest.

She smiled brightly with tears in her eyes once again.

"You should sleep love, you will need all you can get to deal with all of this." He said regretfully, not really wanting to break the moment but he knew he had to.

Her sad look tugged at his heart and he kissed her one more time after she nodded. "We will get out of this, and when we do will you honour me by having dinner with me?" Sirius asked.

"I would love to." She said with a smile and then kissed him again. "Goodnight Sirius."

"Goodnight 'Mione." He said softly.

She watched with a touch of sadness as he transformed back into a dog, but she pulled him close and rubbed his chest and soon the two of them were fast asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

I'm so happy that the last chapter was so well received. I was really worried about it because I wanted it to be special! Thank you all! My review responses are growing in size and I'm curious as to whether you would prefer to see them at the start of each chapter as I have been doing, or at the end. Let me know! Thanks!

Ashes Kittyhawk – I'm glad you thought to waste some time reading my story and thrilled that you have enjoyed it! I like reading Hermione/Snape stories as well but thought that Hermione/Sirius would be most ideal for my story line. Thank you so much for the wonderful review and I hope that you will continue to enjoy the story till the end.

sporty12gd4u – I agree it was about time! giggles Thank you so much for the review! Here is your update!

xxx-kisses-xxx – I agree completely with you..you are only as old as you feel, and Sirius strikes me as a young soul. He has been through hell and back but yet he always seemed to maintain that childish quality to him. I also agree that I just don't see Hermione with someone her own age, she is an old soul.

HSW – Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I hope that I get to have many Sirius/Hermione moments in the future, but with all my evil plots it will be difficult for them to be together. evil grin

PadfootsLuvr – Thank you so much! blushes I was terribly nervous about that chapter because I want to do them justice. I want to make their relationship special without being too fluffy, yet I don't want it to seem to angsty either. Let me know if I get too heavy either way! Lol

Mai Gamit – I always appreciate everyone's comments! Without them I don't think my story would have been what it is today. It is due to suggestions and questions that it has taken each and every turn, for it is no longer what I thought it would be. Thank you so much for your review!

dancing in rain – Pheromones galore in the previous chapter! Lol Yes Remus probably would have recoiled from their strength. As always thank you so much hun! Your letters of course inspired me yet again and I hope this new evil plot twist of mine works!

moonyNZ – lol we all hope they will escape don't we! I'm sure they will, but will they truly escape? evil laughter Thank you so much for your review hun! I appreciate it as always!

* * *

Remus felt hands pat down his robes and was thankful that his concealing spell did the job in hiding the vials hidden in them. His body remained limp as the men barked at one another.

"Ok he is clean, lets get him to the jet. The boss will want this one collared as soon as possible." One of the men yelled up to the front of the van. He got up and left Remus alone on the floor of the vehicle. He opened his eyes slightly to try and get a good look at the men that were taking him. They were both facing the windshield though so he could only see the backs of their heads. Remus would know who these men were though should he ever meet up with them from their scents.

"What the fuck do you think the boss wants em for anyways?" The driver asked.

"Beats me. Something about them being magical I heard. The collars are to control em." The other replied.

"Shit, you believe that shit?" The driver snorted.

"Fuck no! Wizards and Witches? I think the boss has fucking lost it is what I think, but he is the one paying me and so long as he does that, I'll do what he asks." The other stated.

"True that." The driver replied and both remained silent until they reached the airport.

Remus felt the vehicle lurch to a stop and he closed his eyes and resumed his acting. He heard the back doors of the vehicle open and two sets of arms grabbed at him, carting him out of the van and up to a set of stairs. One went first while the other followed, towing Remus up into the airplane.

The men threw him down and Remus used everything he could in his power not to grunt and to remain listless. They checked him over once more before moving away and when Remus was sure it was safe he opened his eyes to slits and took a look. The plane wasn't large, and it probably only sat 12 people. Remus was tucked in behind the seats, but his head was in the aisle so that he was able to see the two men moving about. Soon they were told to take their seats and the plane was lifting off.

He had no idea where they were taking him, but he let himself drift off into a light sleep while keeping his sense alert for voices or any other noises. It was close to an hour before the pilot's voice called back letting the men know that they would be landing in just a few minutes.

Remus had a feeling that they would be arriving to the final destination soon and he would have to make his move as quickly as he could. He closed his eyes again once the plane landed and when the vehicle stopped the men went into motion once again. Soon he felt himself being lifted once again and placed into the back of a van.

"I'll get the stuff from the plane Alex, you stay with him." The once man said leaving Alex in the van alone with Remus. He couldn't have asked for a better opportunity.

Quietly he unshrunk his wand and quickly he aimed at the man's back before he had a chance to turn around. "Petrificus Totalus"

The man Alex fell to the floor of the van and Remus got to work, yanking a hair from himself and the petrified body on the ground. He grabbed the vials of polyjuice and made a brew for himself and one for the guard. It took a few moments for him and the guard to transform and when it was complete he removed his previous spell and knocked the man unconscious.

"The fucker still out of it?" The other man asked startling Remus.

"Yeah." Remus replied and then he moved to the front seat of the van and sat down.

"Ok then lets get him to the base." The man stated. Remus kept his eyes on the road and watched the scenery go by and it was not lost on him where their new location was. 'Paris' he thought to himself. Soon they would be able to help their friends, hopefully.

* * *

The hallway was dank and musty as the cloaked figure walked down it until it reached a thick metal door that's hinges creaked as it opened. If someone were to encounter the figure at that moment, the only thing that would be as a distinguishable feature would be the brown eyes that peered out from behind a copper coloured mask. Those eyes though would never be recognized out in the public, for they looked common enough. The only difference between them and another's would be the power and authoritative look that they beheld.

The figure walked swiftly down a set of stairs into the very bowels of the earth until it opened up into a large cavern. From the figure's vantage point there could be seen a group of people all dressed similarly. No one knew the identity of the others, no one except the figure that had just entered. This one knew each one of them as the mysterious figure was their leader.

A throaty sound somewhat like a cough escaped the leader's mouth and the congregation down below all turned to look upwards. Upon seeing their leader enter they all started their greetings, "Il glory è alla guida della miniera." _(Glory be to mine leader.)_

The leader raised a hand to acknowledge them in his masculine tone. "The forces have been set in motion. Soon the barricade will be broken and we will cross over into the new realm to blend our forces. I have brought a new one into our fold, one beyond the barricade that will help us to do our damage and weaken both sides."

A figure down below stepped forward and each member acknowledge the cloaked figure beside them. A female voice started to speak out from behind the copper mask. "The war that once was shall be again, this time though the enemy will be the ones that were protected." She called up to the leader.

"Indeed. They will all be engrossed in their battles and their defenses shall be weakened. The Alimentazione Cabal will soon be able to use their positions to manipulate what is to come. Each of you will be key to inciting what will be." The leader continued.

"You will be known to the others as traitor del mago to the others. You know what I ask of you." The leader stated.

"Yes my Lord I do. They view me as a victim the fools, even my own son. The ministry will be infiltrated and soon we can infect it with your will." The woman called up.

"Good. Come to me traitor del mago. We have much to discuss. You all know what your tasks are, soon we will be able to act. Soon they will come to take their friends and they will bring the enemy with them into their fold." The leader waited for the woman to climb up the steps to the dais and when she reached his side he dismissed the Cabal.

The two cloaked figures made their way back through the tunnels until they reached another antechamber. The room was circular with a dozen doorways leading to various locations but the leader continued to walk straight to enter the doorway in front of them. They walked upwards along hallways and staircases until they reached a wall with a control panel. The leader placed his hand upon the panel and felt the familiar prick as the sensors not only read his prints but tested his DNA and gauged his body temperature.

The light on the panel flickered green and the wall shifted aside to reveal an office. Both figures walked into the room and the leader slipped off his mask and pushed down his hood to face the woman behind him. Devon McCain was pleased with how his plans were turning out. Soon Anarchy would rule both realms and from the background it would be his will, his word that would be final.

He did not want others to bow to him in the knowledge of who he was. The fact that he was unknown to all others besides the woman in front of him suited him. He related to the one they called Voldemort well enough, but Devon believed that the wizarding world's knowledge of the man was what was his final undoing. He would not make the same mistakes as had been made by countless others. Power came from more than just someone cowering before you. Power was the ability to create such anarchy, to bend the will of others without their knowledge towards your own cause. This was what he was doing with the humans and wizards that were involved in all around him.

Interpol would meet with the wizards soon, and there would be a joint effort to save those underground in his forest base. The contact would be made and the knowledge of the wizarding world will have been revealed and it would be too late for them to Obliviate the knowledge of their existence. Interpol had a long reach within the human world, and that reach would touch every other organization out there. Soon like many other private sects the wizards and witches will be discovered and the war they beheld with their enemy Voldemort would seem like a walk in the park.

If there was one thing that human's hated, it was to feel inferior to others. Their fear that a wizard and witch could harm and kill them will cause them to try and suppress their enemy. Little would they know that their enemy was far more dangerous than the wizards and witches. Devon was their common enemy but they would never know that.

The woman hummed softly behind her mask while she slipped off her cloak. Devon growled when he saw her gloriously naked body. "Just how I like you my dear."

"I know." She purred as she stepped forward.

Devon lifted the mask off her face and kissed her hungrily for a few moments. His hands skimmed over her luscious breasts until one hand drifted between her legs. She opened for him and he pressed two fingers up inside of her, causing her to moan deeply.

"So my love, do you wish to destroy Draco before he is saved?" Devon murmured against her neck, causing her to shiver.

"No my love. You know that my hold over him is strong and that he holds power within the Order." She purred.

"Is there anyone that you wish me to destroy then?" He asked and sucked on her neck while his fingers worked inside her.

She gasped and arched her back and panted her next answer. "The one I want destroyed is not within your grasp. One day though I will let you kill him.."

He growled against her neck. "Why do you hate this one that you want destroyed."

She looked at him with her stunning eyes. "Because he betrayed my husband."

"You hated your husband, that can't be all. I think it is because he spurned your advances, although my God the man must be a Eunuch if he did so." Devon said as he nibbled along her jaw.

"Merlin Devon you know me too well." Her body shivered. "Severus will rue the day he refused me." She growled and then kissed him hungrily.

Devon chuckled. "They are all fools Narcissa and soon they will dread the day that they underestimated you. It is important that they never learn about you until their dying breath, you understand this yes?"

"I understand my love." She purred while Devon pushed her towards his desk. He pushed a button on his phone and demanded that he not be disturbed while Narcissa Malfoy undid his pants. He growled as he plunged into her and the both of them forgot their plans and focused entirely on each other.


	23. Chapter 23

PadfootsLuvr – Thank you very much, again it was a chapter I was terribly nervous about! I was worried that people wouldn't enjoy the idea that Narcissa could be far more conniving than we all know.

Elbereth Gilthoniel – lol I can relate with the internet problem. Until recently I have been forced to deal with dialup as I live out in the country. Thankfully we got Satellite highspeed which makes things so much better! Btw I agree…Yay they kissed!

dancing in rain – lol yes I'm cruel and evil! I warned you! Hee hee. Just let me know if I ever go too far though! As to the Cabal name, it means Power. Fitting eh? Thanks again for all your great thoughts and reviews!

sporty12gd4u – heh yeah I think I enjoy sneaky Remus! Thanks a bunch for your review! I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story so far.

moonyNZ – Yes muggles can be awfully stupid at times! I love Remus, he is really one of my favourite characters in the books. I fell in love with him and how kind he was to Harry so I enjoy giving him a stealthy side. :)

Ok I was REALLY nervous about my last chapter…I thought chapter 21 was bad, my stomach was literally feeling sick the moment I posted Chapter 22. lol I'm really glad I got some great reviews so shortly after I posted though. It really helped to settle my unsettled belly. Thanks again all!

* * *

Merlin had been called by one of his men announcing that they had captured a new wizard and so he made his way back to the underground base. He had been working his mind around some potential situations he could put Hermione through in the future, but this interruption was important for him to deal with.

He walked down the hallway to his room within the base and quietly entered. Merlin wanted Hermione to go with him to see the new wizard. Flint was no where to be found at the moment, and they needed an ID to know who they had captured upon their list. She was obviously upstairs and he figured she couldn't resist the thought of sleeping within a proper bed for the evening.

Opening the door quietly he slipped into the room and looked around. The soft chords of Enya filled the room and Merlin couldn't help but smirk when he saw the camera covered in the corner. Very cunning he thought to himself as he looked at the sleeping form.

Merlin moved forward and paused when he saw the dog's head suddenly raise. Their eyes locked on one another and Merlin could have sworn the dog was wary and even angry at his entrance to the bedroom. He moved forward again and looked down on the sleeping face of Hermione.

She looked innocent and peaceful and the way her arm was raised over her head gave him a good view of her chest. He started to reach down to touch her until he heard the low growl of the dog beside her. Merlin looked at the dog and quietly spoke, "You are lucky she loves you so much." He had to shake his head because he wondered if he actually saw the dog smile in response.

"Dammit I hate these late night captures. Hermione, Hermione wake up." He said this time grabbing her arm and nudging her gently.

"Hmmm?" She said in a groggy tone and opened her eyes slowly to look up at him. She had a soft smile on her face as if waking from a pleasant dream and Merlin felt an unfamiliar tug in his chest from the sight. He frowned down at her and then she duplicated the frown when she realized who she was looking at.

"What? Is it morning?" She asked in a husky tone.

"No. Get up, I need you to come with me." He stated.

She regarded him silently and then nodded and pushed the blankets aside, letting her long legs slip out over the edge of the bed. He watched her for a moment as she walked over to the chair where her outfit from the night lay and she turned to look at him.

"Are you staying to watch?" She asked.

"No, Sorry." He mumbled and left the room.

Hermione glanced over at Sirius and raised her brow. "I wonder what is going on." She said softly and then proceeded to get herself dressed, blushing lightly as she could feel Sirius's gaze on her the whole time.

When she was finished she gave him an exasperated look. "Enjoy the show did you?" She asked and couldn't help but chuckle softly as the dog's mouth opened and his tongue lolled out.

Hermione shook her head and slipped on the sandals before leaving the room with Sirius following close by her side. They both walked down the stairs and she looked at Merlin who was staring into the fire.

"What is this about Merlin?" She asked curiously.

"You will see. Follow me. You can bring him along if you wish." He replied.

The group left the room and walked down the long hallway to the elevator, but stopped at a doorway just before it. Merlin opened the door and held it open, indicating that Hermione should walk through first. When she entered the room she looked around at the large medical facility. From the hallway no one would ever guess that this was here, but here it was and when her eyes drifted to the unconscious figure on the table she couldn't help but react.

"Remus." She said softly.

"Ah Remus Lupin it is then." Merlin purred and walked farther into the room. Hermione followed and stopped a foot away from the table with the body on it. He was still breathing thankfully but the sight of the collar on his neck saddened her.

Merlin bustled around talking with the guards in the room along with the medical personnel while Hermione's eyes never left Lupin's body. The silver collar around his neck caused a pain in her chest for just a moment before she started to contemplate a thought that just hit her.

Either the collars were not made of pure silver, or that was not Remus on the table in front of her. Immediately her eyes flickered to the men that were talking with Merlin. She saw the eyes of one of them staring directly at her and then flickering down to Sirius and her eyes widened with comprehension.

Hermione spoke up suddenly. "Why have you brought me here Merlin? It can't have been just to ID him."

"No it was not for that alone." He took a few steps towards her and his hand raised so that his finger traced gently down her cheek. "It is to show you that we can capture any one of you, and that we will until we have you all under our yoke. Now, with that knowledge in mind, it is up to you to decide whether you want to make your tenure with us a pleasant one, or unpleasant."

He walked around her so that his chest pressed up against her back and his voice spoke gently into her ear. "You don't have to be a prisoner here Hermione. If you but consider joining me, you and I could become a very powerful force within this world."

His hands slid down her arms and she fought the shudder of revulsion that suddenly hit her. She wanted to convince this man that she was tempted by the power he offered to her, not let him know how much she hated him. Her eyes lifted to the one guard and she could see a barely controlled rage hidden behind them and knew right then that Remus was not on the table in front of her.

"I will consider it." She stated quietly.

Merlin chuckled softly in her ear. "To show you that I mean what I say I will allow you some privacy that you seek. My men have been ordered to clear your bedroom and bathroom of all security devices. If you choose to hide out in these rooms though, I will be forced to have them put back into place. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, thank you very much." Hermione said not having to fake the gratefulness of her tone.

"Good." He replied.

"May I ask a favour of you Merlin?" Hermione asked softly, turning her head so that her mouth was close to Merlin's.

"Depends what you ask of me." He said softly.

"My dog, he has not been let out since we left the cell. I'm afraid that he has been very good up to now, but he is in sore need of a tree I believe." Hermione stated in a soft pleading tone.

Merlin looked into her eyes and it was as if he couldn't resist the big brown doe eyes that she gave him while looking at him. "One of my men will take him, I need you to come with me though." He stated.

Hermione's eyes drifted to the guards and one stepped forward. "I can take him for you Sir."

Merlin nodded and Hermione pulled away from him, leading Sirius to the man that volunteered. "Thank you very much. He answers to Snuffles."

The guard nodded silently and looked down at the dog while Hermione knelt down beside him. "Now Snuffles, this man is going to take you outside. I want you to be nice ok?"

Sirius whined softly, not wanting to leave Hermione behind but he could smell Remus and if the two of them could talk they could perhaps make some plans as to how to bust them all out of the hellhole they were living in.

"He will be fine with you now." She said with a sad smile before facing Merlin. "I'm ready."

Merlin nodded with a smile. "Good, then it is time that we go have a visit with your friends below."

* * *

"Where do you feel him now Potter?" Severus barked impatiently.

"Severus, please. You know that we can't move until the beacon is stationary. I think they are close though because he hasn't moved in the last twenty minutes." Harry replied.

Ron was glancing anxiously between his old potions professor and Harry. "Where are they then Harry?" he inquired.

"Hold on." Harry said before he mumbled a spell and flicked his wand. The air shimmered for a moment before them until an image of the world floated in front of them all. A bright glowing dot pulsed somewhere in Europe so Harry had the map focus in on the location. It soon became clear that they were somewhere in France and Harry continued to zoom in until they realized the location was just outside of Paris.

"I think this is where they must be." Harry said.

"Can't we just go in now?" Ron inquired impatiently.

"For once I agree with the boy." Severus stated between clenched teeth. Ron gave Snape a look of horror and wondered if there had been a sudden cold spell down in hell.

Harry contemplated for a few moments and then spoke up. "Let us go, but instead of here.." He indicated an area of the map where Remus was located. "We will apparate here. This should give us a good viewing distance and keep us far away enough so that we are undetected." Harry stated.

Harry looked at his best friend and Severus and the two of them nodded. "We must inform Albus of our plans, we need backup just in case and there could be a need for the ministry to deal with mass Obliviations." Harry continued.

"Agreed, now lets go." Severus ground out.

Without another word, the three men floo'd out of Grimmauld to Hogwarts.


	24. Chapter 24

Dark Me – Thanks for the review! Here is your update!

crashphuk – Darn muggles, but hey we aren't all bad! Heh maybe they might meet a few nice ones sometime. ;) As to time of month? Only time will tell…. (insert evil laughter here)

HSW – Thanks so much for the review! I try and update as soon as my fingers finish flying on the keyboard! Gotta get it out while it is fresh in my mind ya know. This one wasn't as fast because I need to iron out some potential ways that these next few chapters can go. Hopefully they will continue to move along rapidly though! I hate writers block! Btw I'm going to try and work more Sirius and Hermione moments in as soon as I can, it might be a few more chapters until then though. Heh

Remus Gurl – I love Lupin! He is really my favourite character in Harry Potter. I so hope that JK doesn't kill him off in the next book. The knowledge that there is a character death in it just scares me. I'm really happy that you are enjoying my story so far. I really hope that I can continue to make it fun and interesting for everyone.

dancing in rain – Again thank you hun for all your thoughts whenever I bug you with, "What do you think of this? Or do you think Remus should do this or this?" lol You are a Godsend to me. :)

sporty12gd4u – Thank you, thank you! I'm glad that my story could be all that rolled up into one! I really hope that I can continue to make it so until the very end! Heh I may end up having to do a sequal. Lol right now I don't see an end in sight.

PadfootsLuvr – lol Thanks for the review hun! I really hope you enjoyed it. I know that certain characters are screwed up royally lol but they are insane muggles bent on power!

Elbereth Gilthoniel – You never know with the Ministry do you? (insert more evil laughter here) lol Its late, forgive me. I hope you like the latest chapter cause I really thank you for your review of the last one!

xxx-kisses-xxx – Thank you so much! I have to say that I never really liked Severus until Alan Rickman played him in the movie. There is just something about that man that I find damn sexy. Anyways I hope you are understanding things so far, if not email me and I'll try and recap to explain how things are ending up thusfar. :)

* * *

The trio surveyed the land in front of them after they had apparated to the location Harry had indicated.

"There is nothing here Harry." Ron said softly in disbelieve.

"There has to be something here. I can feel Remus, he is that way." His hand lifted and his finger pointed to an empty ravine in the woods.

"Are you sure that potion is working right?" Ron inquired.

Severus gave the redhead a glare. "I brewed that potion myself Weasley, it is working just fine." He growled.

"I'm sure even you can make mistakes Snape." Ron growled back and muttered under his breath. "Greasy git."

"Weasley I'm right beside you, if you think I didn't hear that then you are much more of a fool than I thought." Severus said coldly.

Harry glared at them both. "Will you two stop acting like children. Our friends are out here somewhere and they need our help. Now if you aren't going to work together then I'm going to have to send you both back to Grimmauld. Is that what you want?"

Both men looked properly chastised at Harry's words and gave each other a nod to extend a temporary truce with one another.

"Look there…" Harry said quietly and all three of them ducked behind the bushes.

* * *

The hill looked like it was splitting in two as a doorway slid open and allowed a guard and a large black dog out of the facility. Sirius trotted out into the woods and raised his nose to take in the scents surrounding him. He looked up at the guard and within seconds he was bounding off to a distant tree.

The guard followed behind the canine until he stopped within several feet of the tree the dog ran behind.

"So have you told her you love her yet?" The guard called out.

"Fuck!" A voice called out softly. "Moony you don't do that to a guy that is taking a piss!" Sirius growled.

Remus chuckled softly. "Well have you?" He asked again and watched as Sirius came around the tree adjusting his robes. Remus couldn't help but notice the slight redness on his friend's cheeks.

"I think there are more important matters we should be discussing besides my love life Moony." Sirius stated. "Does anyone know where you are?"

"If you haven't said it then you are more off your rocker than I thought Padfoot. Harry and I took a potion that allows him to track me. He should be arriving with Severus and Ron soon to help everyone out. What is going on?" Remus inquired.

"Muggles wanting power is what is going on. Flint, the ruddy bastard, is working with them to take the Order down one by one. The collar…" Sirius shuddered at the thought of Hermione in the collar and all the pain it had put her through.

"The collar is cursed. It won't allow spell casting unless their keeper allows it. We can't kill or curse the ones controlling them because it will kill or curse Hermione, Draco and Ginny. They have a child in there as well." Sirius gave a disgusted look.

"Who was the man with Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Merlin." Sirius stated.

"I know you are upset Sirius but who was the man?" Remus asked again.

"No, no, his name is Merlin. Second in command apparently. She used to have another keeper but Merlin seems to think she is his ticket to power." Sirius said with a voice laden with anger.

"She is playing him isn't she?" Remus asked.

"She seems to think it will help to get us out of here. Personally I don't like it." Sirius growled.

"I'm sure she is also trying to get more information. If he trusts her at all he will talk." Remus said thinking out loud.

"Probably, I wouldn't put it past her to do something like that. She gets herself into these messes…" Sirius was getting angrier by the minute as he thought of what danger Hermione was putting herself into.

"Ah but it is all a part of what you love about her right?" Remus added slyly.

"Right." Sirius replied quickly and then realized what his friend had done.

"Think you can fool your best friend Padfoot? Think again. Don't think I didn't smell you all over her tonight." He gave his friend a knowing smile.

Sirius shook his head and clapped Remus on the back before pulling him into a hug. "It is good to have you here friend. Now, what is the plan?"

Remus looked around before speaking. "Harry and the guys should be here within the hour. I told them to wait for the signal to be stable for an hour before they apparated, so until then we have to continue undercover. I took a second dose of polyjuice so I have another forty minutes before I transform back to my normal self."

"Hardly normal." Sirius said with a smirk.

"Watch it Padfoot or I'll tie you to a tree and let you watch all the fun." Remus replied with a chuckle.

"You wouldn't." Sirius stated.

"Want to bet?" Remus smirked back at his friend.

"Ok maybe you would. So what happens after you change back, and whoever looks like you changes back?" Sirius inquired.

"I have something up my sleeve, and hopefully the guard will already be wherever they have been keeping you guys before anyone notices." Remus stated. "When Harry and the crew come in, that is when we will make our move. Got it?"

Sirius wanted to just bust them all out now and sweep Hermione as far away from the base as possible, but he knew he had to have a bit more patience. If he could survive the years in Azkaban, he would surely be able to wait an hour or two for his Godson to arrive.

He sighed before he nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll be good for now, but Merlin is mine."

Remus noted the cold edge to Sirius's tone and realized that the last time he had heard that tone was when he spoke of Wormtail. He couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through him when the dark memories of betrayal ran through his mind. So many lives lost because of the man they thought to be their friend.

He watched as Sirius transformed back into his dog form and the two of them headed through the trees towards the base again. Doors opened once more to allow the guard and the dog inside and Remus acknowledged several of the men inside as he walked the dog to the elevator.

Remus wasn't quite sure where he was going so his finger hovered over the level 2 button and then over the level 3 button. When it was over the 3 Sirius whined softly to indicated it was what he should push. Soon the man and dog were heading down to the cell block to find Hermione and Merlin.


	25. Chapter 25

PadfootsLuvr – Heh heh I may get in another Sirius/Hermione chapter in because after that they may have a hard time getting some private time for awhile. Lol Glad you are still enjoying the story! Thank you so much for the review!

readingfreak997 – New reader! Yay! Welcome, welcome. Thank you so much for the review. I'm glad I can keep a reading freak entertained!

Dark Me – Thanks hun. I'm used to writing rp stories with others so often we go back and forth often in one night. I tend to stew all day on what the chapter will be whenever I get a free moment to think, so by the time I sit down I pretty much know what the chapter will be. Really happy that you are enjoying the story and thank you for the review.

Mai Gamit - Just call me Mysteries 'r us. :) Thanks for the review hun!

sporty12gd4u – Glad you like! I like your review!

dancing in rain – Yeah I think Hermione has gotten into many scrapes before this story! Sirius would have been included on the one involving the Veil of course, but Harry and Remus would know just how many more she has been in. lol Thanks for your review as always hun, and of course for all your thoughts whenever I bug you for them.

moonyNZ – Soon! Soon the rescue will happen..but first perhaps some Sirius/Hermione lovin! They may just get their freak on! lol

* * *

Merlin led Hermione to the third level of the facility. They walked down the long hallway to the end where the cellblock resided and when they entered the aisle Hermione could see that everyone was still asleep. 

With her in tow Merlin walked to Draco's cell and called over a guard for him to open it. The door opened silently and Merlin grabbed Hermione's arm, pulling her gently into the little room similar to the one she used to reside in.

Merlin suddenly kicked the bed, causing Draco to stand up suddenly with his body in a fighting posture. His steely eyes flickered between Hermione and Merlin until he woke up completely and his body relaxed.

Draco stood silently. Hermione was dressed much differently than she had been when she had left here, and the fact that she was with this new man must have meant she had a new handler. He was wondering just what was going on when he saw Hermione's hands make a subtle gesture.

Many years as a spy had helped him to keep any emotions in check, so he stood there looking rather bored until Hermione spoke. When she did he let his eyebrows raise slightly in surprise.

"Merlin I don't want a visit with him. Ginny yes, but Malfoy?" Her voice was filled with venom as she spoke.

"What is wrong my dear? This one not a friend of yours? You both looked so cozy when you first arrived." Merlin purred.

She snorted softly. "That was when I was in the same place as him. I sympathized, but now?" Hermione's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Now fate couldn't have been so kind."

Merlin gave her a surprised look. "Oh, I would have thought you witches and wizards would stick together."

"I would want to be with him just about as much as I would want to be with Malcolm." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Merlin.

"Well this is rather interesting I must say." Merlin said chewing over this new and interesting situation.

"Doesn't surprise me that a mudblood bitch like you would turn to the enemy." Draco glared at Merlin. "Filthy muggle." He spat out.

"Shut it Ferret." Hermione growled. "I think you might want to watch your step."

"You disgust me." Draco growled back.

Merlin held up his hand and Hermione and Draco clapped their mouths shut looking at the man. "What exactly is a mudblood?" He inquired looking at Draco.

Draco stared at the man refusing to answer, so Hermione ground out between her teeth. "Ferret here is what you call a pureblood wizard. The prodigy of two wizards, whereas I'm born from a muggle, that is non magical, family. His kind believe my kind to be of dirty blood, hence the name mudblood."

Merlin looked thoughtful as he took in the new information. "And why do you call him Ferret?"

Hermione chuckled evilly. "Oh that has to do with a little incident where he was turned into a ferret. Suited him rather well, in fact I would say it had been an improvement."

"I see your teeth never really got any better since my spell, did they mudblood?" Draco snarled.

Hermione growled and stepped forward hauling her hand back and slapping him soundly on his cheek. His head turned to the side and he turned back to look at her with a hatred clearly written on his face.

"So would it please you to be able to cast a spell on him my dear?" Merlin asked behind her.

"Oh yes, it would very much." She growled without looking back.

Draco could see the slight flicker in her eyes and knew she would not go easy on him. He understood though and jerked his head and acted in a disgusted manner to her. 'Do what you must' he was letting her know.

"Then why don't you do so my dear. I'm sure you are itching to use your wand now that you have it back." Hermione turned and gave Merlin a seductive smile.

"I think it would be a very nice treat indeed."

"You must have done much to her to incur this sort of wrath." Merlin stated while looking at Draco.

"She is just a mudblood whore that will fuck the enemy to get what she wants." He growled.

"Be my guest my dear." He stated.

Hermione focused and lifted her wand, her hand steady and her face a mask of hatred. "This is for every time you called me mudblood. Crucio!"

The effect was immediate and Draco hit the ground. Tears flooded his eyes as the pain from the curse hit him tenfold. She must have really been channeling the hurt he had caused her in the past, because the curse hurt like a bitch. He heard his own voice echoing off the walls as he screamed from the feeling ripping through his body.

Hermione held the curse for just over a minute and then released him from the torment. Her heart was ripping in two for hurting her friend, but he understood it was something that needed to be done. They were a lot alike in many ways Hermione thought to herself. Once long ago Hermione had suffered the curse for Harry, but that was long ago and not something she could dwell on now.

Movement could be seen walking down the aisle and Hermione nearly cried when she saw Sirius bounding towards them. The guard that led the dog looked straight at her and into her soul, and she saw a kindred spirit. There was no amount of polyjuice potion that he could take now that could hide him from her. Remus and herself had grown close over the years and it warmed her heart to know that he was here with them.

Soon, hopefully, Harry would be here as well and then Hermione would feel whole again. Hermione knelt down and pet Sirius when he approached her and she turned to look at Merlin. He was looking down at Draco, who was twitching from the effects of the Cruciatus curse that had been thrown at him.

"Fascinating." Was all he could say before looking up at Hermione. "My dear, you must be exhausted. I gathered you out of your bed too early and now I have troubled you with all of this. Besides I want you wide awake when we discuss the details of your future with Crane Industries."

He stood up and took her hand to lead her out of the cell. She refused to look back at Draco, even though every bit of her wanted to. Sirius pressed against her side as they walked down the hallway and back to their room.

When they reached the doorway Merlin reminded Hermione of his peace offering and she smiled and thanked him before turning to enter the room. She heard the familiar click as he locked the door and when she heard the footsteps receding Hermione moved and headed up the stairs.

Sirius bounded into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed while Hermione closed the door to the room and leaned against the door. She felt herself slide down onto the floor and the tears spilled and wouldn't stop. When she felt the hand pressing against her cheek, her tear filled eyes looked up into Sirius's face.

"Oh love." He sighed and pulled her into a hug. The two of them sat on the floor, Sirius rocking Hermione gently and cooing softly to her while she cried.


	26. Chapter 26

Wow, I can't believe I hit 100 reviews! Thanks to you all for each and every one of them. They are all appreciated a lot!

Ok just a note for this chapter. For any that don't like sexual behavior in a story..skip the second part of this chapter. I don't write porn, but I will not write a prudish love scene either. The rating is R for a reason other than language and violence. lol You have been warned and I hope I don't offend anyone with this chapter.

Remus Gurl – Draco was probably the only person she could do that to though I think. He alone understood the most what she was trying to do. I agree though…poor Draco. Thanks a bunch for your review! I'm so happy I can keep you entertained still. :)

Elbereth Gilthoniel – hee hee I think you are right…leaving the base will only be the beginning. (insert maniacal laughter here) Thanks for the review!

Dark Me – Sorry this one took a bit longer to update. Weekend was a busy one! Thanks for the review hun! Hope you like this chapter.

PadfootsLuvr – (sings 'Get your freak on') I think you will like this one! Wink, wink, nudge nudge! lol thanks for the review! Enjoy these two together while you can! Mwahahahahah. lol

sporty12gd4u – Yeah I think the whole situation is becoming a strain for her. Too bad it won't end anytime soon. Lol Thanks for the review hun!

readingfreak997 – Thanks for the review! I'll keep writing as long as people keep enjoying it!

Mai Gamit – heh not many tears in this chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

dancing in rain – hee hee we haven't seen the last of Malcolm and Marcus. They are just biding their time! Soon though we will see em again! I promise. Thanks for the review hun as always you are an inspiration to me.

HSW – Thank you so much. I always get concerned when I write certain characters, because I always want to do them justice. Remus is one of those characters seeing as he is one of my favs. Thanks so much for the review!

moonyNZ – Heh good thing he didn't, I somehow think that would have hurt Draco a lot more than the actual Crutiatus curse. Thanks for the review hun!

* * *

Draco groaned as he looked up at the retreating forms of Merlin and Hermione. He understood what she was doing and he forgave her for doing it. Her hands had warned him before they started. The simple signing of 'I'm sorry' was all she needed to do to warn him of what was coming. If anyone knew of duplicity it was himself.

The guard that had brought Hermione's dog remained in the aisle, his eyes scanning the room as if it was his first time there. Another guard walked down to lock Draco's door back up and the two men spoke briefly to one another before they both turned to watch an unconscious form being brought into the cell block.

Two men deposited Remus Lupin's body into the cell beside Draco, and it confirmed to him that Hermione would not be returning to these quarters. She was dressed much differently and Draco couldn't help but feel the familiar tug of lust that he felt every so often around her. They were good friends still, but their previous sexual relationship was definitely hot while it had lasted.

Three of the guards left the cell block when Lupin's cell was locked up, leaving the one to stare at the occupants within the glass walled cells. Draco watched as the man's head turned to look at the young girl in the cell across from him first before turning to look at Draco. It was when the man's eyes drifted to Ginny though that Draco tensed.

A few minutes passed by when Draco realized that he was praying to Merlin that the guard didn't get any ideas when it came to Ginny. Where these feelings came from he wasn't quite sure, but Draco turned to look at the young red headed witch to see her watching the unconscious form in the cell beside him. There was a clear look of shock on her face and he furrowed his brow wondering what could have gotten into her.

His head turned to look down at the sleeping form of Remus Lupin and he actually jumped in surprise at the man that lay there. It was the guard that had just been staring at them from the aisle just a moment ago. Draco turned his head to look at whoever it outside of his cell and the feeling of hope suffused his body.

If Remus Lupin was out in the aisle, that must mean that there was a rescue team close by and this made Draco sigh with relief. His old DADA teacher reached into his cloak and pulled out a small square of fabric and Draco watched as he took his wand and his mouth moved. When the piece of fabric expanded to its normal size there was no mistaking the invisibility cloak that draped onto the floor.

One minute the man was there, the next he had vanished. Draco suddenly felt a new respect for a man he didn't think could act so much like a Slytherin. Somehow he knew that it wasn't just Hermione that he underestimated for so long. All they could do now though was wait and pray that whatever was going on, they would all escape unharmed.

* * *

Hermione hiccupped softly as her tears receded and she sat there snuggled up within Sirius's arms quietly. She closed her eyes and relished the feeling of his warmth and body against hers and knew without a doubt that she wanted this man. She pulled away slightly and tilted her head to look into the fathomless gray eyes that looked down at her.

They stared at each other, their eyes telling each other what they wanted and what they felt at that moment. Hermione opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out except a groan when Sirius's lips had suddenly collided with hers. Her hand snaked around his neck and she pulled him closer, afraid that the kiss would end before she wanted it to.

When they pulled apart they were panting and staring once again at each other. It was if they were looking into each other's souls for just that moment. When Sirius pushed her gently off his lap she felt bereft and couldn't help the downturn of her lips. He didn't want her, she thought to herself. She watched as he stood up by the door and then his hand reached out for her to help her stand.

When she stood up her head tilted downwards so that all she could see was the buttons on his shirt. Her heart felt like it was going to break it was so fragile with this man before her. She felt his finger gently press against her chin, forcing her to look up at him and she fought the desire to look into his eyes. She didn't want him to see how hurt she really was.

"Hermione.." he whispered.

Something about the tone of his voice made her look at him, really look at him and what she saw there wasn't rejection. "Sirius.." She whispered back and the shiver that ran through his body was visible.

"Ah, to hear my name on your lips again." He said with his eyes closed. Sirius opened his eyes to look down at her once again before stepping in close and cupping her cheeks with his hands. She felt the pads of his thumbs stroking her cheeks and he looked hesitant, as if he wasn't sure of where they should go next.

Hermione didn't want him to think, thinking could cause him to stop what he was doing so she reached forward and started to work on the buttons of his shirt.

"Hermione…" his voice choked out softly and it was if that one gesture snapped all his control. His lips crashed down onto hers and his arms wrapped around her tightly, pulling her against his tense muscles. She in turn melted against him, letting him take control while she moaned softly into his mouth.

His mouth ravaged hers for a few minutes before he pulled away from her and once again they were panting loudly. Hermione noticed that his hands shook as they dropped down to his sides and her large brown eyes looked up at him with love and trust. He took a ragged breath and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Do you know what you do to me?" He growled.

Hermione bit her lip for a moment before she gathered her courage. Taking a step forward she let her voice drop an octave so when she spoke it was husky and seductive. "I think I might, but let me check." She said and her hand slipped between his legs to cup his hardness. Anyone but Hermione would fear the look in Sirius's eyes at that moment, but for her it sent shivers skittering down her body and the very core of her flooded with a delicious heat.

"Merlin woman, you will be the death of me I think." He growled as he set his hands on her arms and pushed her away gently. Sirius laughed softly as her lip pushed out into a pout and he tsk'ed softly. "I have wanted this for some time now and I don't want to miss a single moment."

His eyes trailed over her and Hermione could almost feel the trail of warmth from the amount of heat they held within them. When he reached the bottom and looked back up to her his arms reached out and his fingers gently slid off her jacket, letting the soft material trail over her skin slowly. Goosebumps formed on her flesh as she watched Sirius, his expression was one of reverence as he continued to feast his eyes upon her.

She stood still as he walked around her and she felt his body slip close to hers from behind. His breath felt hot on her neck as he leaned close, pressing his face into her neck and breathing in her scent. Hermione shivered and closed her eyes.

"Cold?" Sirius murmured softly into her ear causing her to gasp softly with surprise.

"No…hot, very hot." She replied with her eyes closed and a seductive smirk.

He chuckled softly in response. "Yes you are." He agreed.

She felt his fingertips gliding along her arms and then over her back and down her her hips. Sirius grabbed the bottom of her shirt and as he lifted it up he let his knuckles drag over her sides making her pant softly from the contact. Hermione lifted her arms up and allowed him to slip off her shirt. She wasn't quite sure where her clothing was going, but at that moment she didn't care.

His hands slid down her arms and down her sides, pausing only briefly as they passed over the swells of her breasts. He continued his trek down her sides and then flattened his palms over her belly, pulling her back against him so that she could feel the hardness of his arousal against her backside. His mouth rested against her neck and she felt his teeth nibbling on her flesh. She lowered her arms and let them reach backwards so that her hands slid over his hips and around to his backside. Holding him close to her she let her head fall back against his shoulder with a soft moan.

As if not wanting to lose contact with her skin Sirius slithered around her body so that she was facing him once more. His mouth descended on hers and when she felt his tongue against her lips she opened for him, allowing him entrance to explore. A groan rumbled in her throat when his hands cupped her breasts and her back arched against him, rubbing herself and encouraging him to continue.

Her own fingers were hard at work tugging at his shirt and opening it so that her hands could slip under the fabric and the heat of his skin could be felt. Her fingertips moved slowly over his muscles until her thumb brushed lightly over his nipple. Sirius responded with a growl and he could feel his control starting to unravel. Swiftly his hands rid Hermione of her bra and he broke the kiss so that he could lavish his attention onto her breasts.

"Sirius.." Hermione purred as her fingers slid into his hair and held him close to her. Tingling pleasure fingered its way through her body until she felt herself warm and wet and her urgency to have him grew. "I don't think I can take much more Sirius…" She groaned as her hand managed to slip into his pants and her fingers wrapped around him.

It was feeling the warmth of her hand wrapped around his hardness that broke all his resolve and suddenly he picked her up and threw her onto the bed. Hermione squealed and giggled and her eyes darkened as she sensed that Sirius was just as ready as she was. Not wanting to delay things she quickly slipped off her pants and panties and tossed them across the room as she watched him kick off his own pants.

"Wait." Hermione said when he was gloriously naked in front of her and he gave her a confused and strained look. "I have to look at you." Her eyes raked over his body and Sirius moaned deeply as it only made him harder for her.

"'Mione…" he whined softly.

"You are beautiful Padfoot." She purred and then she lay back and spread her legs, giving him a wanton look.

Sirius growled once more and he crawled onto the bed like a predator about to eat his prey. When he saw her hand reach between her own legs he about spilt himself right there. His hand caught her wrist and he pulled it away. "Allow me." He growled with a wolfish grin.

Sirius feasted on her, laving her with his tongue and filled her with his fingers and it was all Hermione could do not to scream with pleasure. When she thought she couldn't take anymore she felt his body move over her and she tasted herself on his lips when he kissed her deeply. His hand reached around to cup her bum and Hermione thought she would cry with the ache so deep within her as she felt the tip of him pressing against her.

"Now love..I need you now…" She purred against his mouth and her entire body arched with pleasure as she felt him plunge deep within her. A shudder ran down her body at the feeling of him inside her and when he started to move within her she felt her breath become short. It was a wonder she could breath as she felt him plunging deep into her, and her legs raised so that she could wrap them around his hips. Both of them started to murmur soft words of love to each other as their breathing increased and their bodies started to glisten from sweat.

Hermione encouraged him every step of the way, telling him harder and deeper until she couldn't take it anymore. The both of them cried out as they reached their climax together. When they were finished Hermione wrapped her arms around Sirius's boneless body, holding him close to her as they both panted loudly. They both lay like this for a few minutes until Sirius lifted his upper body so he could look down at her. He kept himself inside her, not wanting to separate their connection, and he brushed aside a lock of hair that was pasted down on her forehead from sweat.

"There are no words…" He said softly as he looked deeply into her eyes.

She smiled looking up at him and her own fingers pushed aside a lock of damp hair from his eyes. "No, there definitely isn't."

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Next time though I swear I won't act like a randy schoolboy."

"Neither will I." She replied and the two of them chuckled softly until they settled into a long and lingering kiss.


	27. Chapter 27

HSW – lol I think the last chapter threw everyone, but I wanted to get some Hermione/Sirius goodness out while I could because that is the last we will see of it for awhile. Thanks for the review!

Elbereth Gilthoniel – ACK Now Albus and Tom slash fics would definitely disturb me. Rofl I don't blame you for that one. Heh anyways, whenever there are any more sexual chapters there will be fair warning so that people can read it or not. I think the great escape shall be soon! Thanks for the review!

dancing in rain – Thanks to my muse as always! Some questions are answered in here as I'm sure you will notice. Of course I sent this one to you beforehand so you have read it already! Lol Thanks for the little fixups, I really do appreciate it!

moonyNZ – Hee hee They got their freak on!

Remus Gurl – Aww thanks hun, it is a real honour when you say that my story gives you the urge to write as well. If you ever want anyone to bounce ideas off of or to help beta a story, I'm here. Just give me an email!

lee74 – Hot was what I was going for. Thanks for the review!

sporty12gd4u – I would take Sirius's comfort anyday! Lol

readingfreak997 – Thanks for the review!

A big thanks goes to dancing in rain who read and helped me tweak this chapter so it is just right! Enjoy!

* * *

Walking under the invisibility cloak somehow seemed very different from the last time he had used it. Of course he was a young man at the time and somewhat shorter then. Remus hunched over and stepped slowly down the aisle, avoiding the odd person that bustled by him so that he wouldn't be detected. He had wanted to give Draco and Ginny some reassurance while they were held up in those dreadful cells and so he let them see the polyjuice wear off. The comprehension in Draco's eyes was all he needed to see, but it was kind of nice to see that bit of admiration the young man gave him when the cloak was slung over his head.

On their way into the facility, Remus had noted that most of the security for the building was located on the first floor of the facility. This was where he decided that he would start his mission. To disable the security system would give the others a leg up on helping him to break out their friends. The collars would have to be dealt with at another time, but for now if they could just get their friends to relative safety it would be enough.

The elevator opened to the first floor and Remus slipped out into the hallway and made his way to the control room. Two men sat talking with each other as a wall filled with monitors flickered and filled the room with their glow. He let his eyes scan the wall and noted one in particular. Remus had heard that Merlin had discarded cameras from Hermione's room, but apparently he had only had it moved.

There on the bed in the room lay a very naked Sirius atop an equally naked Hermione. Her legs were wrapped around his, but the two of them were simply talking and looking at one another. Of all the times to pick for them to connect and finally bed one another, they had to choose now? He kind of expected this from Sirius, but Hermione? She was a witch with some sense, of course she had managed to shock and surprise him on several occasions in the past.

One time that stood out more than others was shortly after the death of her parents. Hermione had gone missing for a few months, but they were finally able to reach her when she contacted Harry in the muggle world. She had gone back to school, slipping back into the groove easily as she was well beyond what the rest of the students had been learning at the time. Remus was at Hogwarts as an unofficial teacher for Harry, Ron and herself, along with some others within the DA.

"Excuse me Professor?" Hermione's voice interrupted his thoughts as he stared into the fire. He was in his private quarters in the school at the time and she had learned of its location having become Head Girl in her 7th year.

"Yes Hermione, how can I help you?" Remus said with a smile. He always felt a genuine warmth for the slip of a girl and he hoped that she would look to him as a parental figure just as Harry had now that her parents were gone.

"Well, it is not something that you necessarily have to help me with as you have done so already." She stated cryptically.

"Oh? Well I'm glad that I could have helped you, may I ask what you are referring to?" He inquired curiously.

"Yes, well you know that little matter that we discussed awhile back?" _She paused, then continued when it was clear that he didn't recall which matter she was referencing. "_The one about my virginity, well you don't have to worry about that now." She stated in a matter of fact tone, _as though merely discussing the score on an exam_

Remus had just taken a rather large sip of his tea as Hermione was speaking with him and when she had finished speaking his coughs and sputters filled the room. Hermione's face filled with concern and she rushed over to him, pounding him on the back to help him clear his throat.

"Are you alright Professor?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"Gods woman are you trying to kill me? I'm sure Voldemort would be pleased if you were." He replied with a voice that was hazy with the feeling of fluid still in his throat.

"I'm sorry Professor, I just thought you would like to know that I have dealt with the matter." Her tone was business like and Remus furrowed his brow as he looked at her.

"Have you told Harry this?" he asked.

"Goodness, no!" She replied quickly. "Harry has enough on his plate to worry about. This matter is just something that he doesn't need added to it."

So it wasn't Harry that took her virginity, he thought to himself. He suddenly wondered who it was and if the man was good to her. Then he suddenly blushed realizing he was thinking about her sex life.

"I..er..well yes..I suppose not." He stammered.

"Well that is all I wished to tell you Professor, now if you will excuse me I must find Professor Snape now and let him know that he was right. It is nice if you find a good partner." She stated and Remus gave her a shocked look.

The girl talked to Severus about sex! He couldn't help but drop his jaw at the thought and he watched her mutely as she turned to leave his room.

"Wait!" Remus called out.

"Yes?" She replied as she turned around.

"Can I be there when you tell him that? I have to see the look on his face." A grin spread on his face and little spurts of chuckles escaped from his lips.

"Really Professor, I don't think Professor Snape would appreciate that." She gave him a chastising look. "Of course I think Sirius would have been begging me by now so I guess I shall forgive you." Hermione continued with a chuckle.

"Well at least take a picture for me?" He asked.

"Nice try." This time she laughed for a few moments until a sad smile took over. "Thank you Professor."

He gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. "Anytime Hermione."

One of the men barked with laughter, interrupting Remus's reverie and he realized if he didn't do something quickly Sirius and Hermione would be discovered. He muttered quietly with a wave of his wand and suddenly the monitor with Sirius and Hermione sparked and then glass shattered as something within blew up.

"What the!" One of the men cried as he stood up and rushed over to grab a fire extinguisher.

Remus muttered again and when his wand's movement was complete another monitor flickered, sparked and then blew up. Again and again he continued the motion until smoke filled the room and he had to back out so that he wouldn't choke. The two men were panicking at this point and yelling loudly down the hallway for help.

With one more stronger spell Remus was able to blow up the control panel this time and the flames that engulfed the equipment started to fill the room. Remus smiled as he looked at his handiwork and pleased with himself he decided that it was time to get Hermione and Sirius. Surely they would be dressed by the time he got there, at least he hoped they would be.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Severus were all watching the facility or at least the grounds around where the entrance lay. It was full afternoon and they were all starting to get anxious while they wondered what exactly was going on inside.

"So what is the plan?" Severus asked grudgingly.

"Ron? What do you think?" Harry asked his friend. Ron could be a bit of a flake sometimes, but when it came to strategies and missions he was the best of the lot and it wasn't just Harry and Hermione that thought that anymore. His tactics and wisdom at warfare had become well known and he was heralded as one of the major war heros of their time within the wizarding community.

"The night shift is far less than the day, we have seen twice the amount of people enter than leave so it would be wise if we waited till the evening shift starts. I have no doubt that we are stronger with our magic, but they have something important to us and we need to use as much stealth as possible." Ron stated.

It was like another person talking when he spoke of missions Harry thought with a deep respect for his friend. "I agree. This work for you Severus?"

The potions professor nodded curtly and so the three of them waited patiently, hoping that Remus was safe inside along with all the others.


	28. Chapter 28

Note: This chapter was edited to change the word telescopes to microscopes. lol stupid mistake on my part which teaches me never to post and write while tired. lol

I'm really sorry this took so long guys! It has been a busy week for me here and my brain needed a little rest from writing as well. I hope this chapter will somewhat make up for my lack of writing.

If you all were confused at all by the last chapter…Hermione's virginity was a topic that had been discussed before their meeting that day. Just clarifying that if you hadn't caught it.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed. I pretty tired tonight so I'll write more intensive thank yous when I write the next chapter.

* * *

The hallways of the first floor of the compound were bedlam since Remus had blown up the control room for security. Because of this it made it difficult for him to maneuver himself without being detected. The confusion was good though because when Harry, Ron and Severus made their move it would be easier for them to enter the building undetected.

A guard moved close to Remus and he ducked quickly into an open doorway and immediately felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. Turning around he saw a row of cages filled with dogs. One of them was empty and he wondered if it was where Sirius had been placed before he was taken to Hermione. His eyes widened as he noticed a severed arm laying inside the kennel and he couldn't help but cringe at the thought.

Remus turned and looked out the doorway for a moment and when he turned to look back at the dogs he knew what he would do. With a swish and a flick all the cage doors swung open and several of the dogs peaked their noses out curiously. He quickly cast a disillusionment charm upon himself just before he cast a Confundus Charm on all the dogs. The animals shook their heads and staggered a bit and when one of the guards burst into the room he startled the animals enough to send them over the edge.

Remus tried to contain his chuckle as the guard ran out of the room screaming while three very angry and confused dogs chased after him. When he peaked out to see what was going on in the hallway, what used to be bedlam had turned into pandemonium. 'Perfect' He thought to himself and he slipped into the elevator. Hermione and Sirius were not on the third floor, that he was sure off having seen them leave earlier in the day. He also knew that they were not on the first, so that left only the second floor so he pushed the button and watched the doors slide closed.

'Patience' he told himself in his head as he felt his nerves. His entire body was taught from the excitement around him, and his head was starting to ache. He realized it was probably from hunching over under the cloak. It was amazing how much larger the cloak had seemed when he was a boy. The doors slid open and Remus quietly slipped out as a guard entered.

Looking to his right he saw the medical room that they had taken the polyjuiced guard into. Several staff members were inside looking through microscopes and taking notes. His eyes scanned the hallway which was a series of doors. He wasn't sure what one Hermione and Sirius would be behind so he tried to trail their scent. Slowly he moved from one door to another, ducking quickly when the odd guard would move past him and then sniffing each doorway until he came to the end and their scent was strong.

'This must be it.' He thought to himself and quietly said "Alohomora". He opened the door and slipped in, closing it before letting any guards in the hallway see. Once in the room he listened closely to make sure it was only Hermione and Sirius within and when satisfied he slipped the cloak off and made his way up the stairs. When he reached the top he heard a shower running and the smell of running water hit his nose. He couldn't tell where each of them were exactly so he let himself into the bedroom and noticing it empty he decided to wait on the bed for the two lovebirds to enter.

* * *

Hermione and Sirius lay side by side for awhile, basking in the post coital bliss. Their bodies had cooled and their breathing had regulated and they both lay in silence. Hermione tilted her head to look at Sirius's profile before rolling over onto her side to lift her head so she could look down at him.

"You aren't regretting anything are you?" She asked softly.

"No!" He replied vehemently, "Are you?"

"No." She responded with a smile and traced a fingertip from between his eyes down along his nose until she reached it's tip. Sirius started up at her and his brow furrowed when he saw her smile turn from innocent to sad.

"I know it is wrong for us to be doing this now, here. It is wrong on so many levels, but I just can't seem to help myself. It is as if I can sense that this could be the only time left for us." Her voice hitched briefly and she took a deep breath.

"Love, don't say such words." Sirius said in a somewhat angry tone while his palm rested upon her cheek. The look in his eyes spoke volumes for Hermione and she nodded before placing a soft kiss upon his lips.

"I have a need for a shower I think." Hermione said suddenly before turning her body and hopping out of the bed. Sirius thought of the last time he saw Hermione wet and he couldn't help the growl that rumbled in his throat. She giggled softly in response and shrieked softly when he suddenly bolted off the bed and chased her into the bathroom.

He caught her and swung her around, pressing her up against the counter in the washroom and his mouth dived down to claim hers. They kissed passionately for a few minutes and then Hermione managed to pull from his embrace to start the water in the shower stall. Sirius watched as she pulled a little knob and the water suddenly stopped pouring from a spout near the bottom and sprayed from the showerhead above. Muggle items still fascinated him whenever he saw them and he rather liked this one, especially with a naked and wet Hermione inside of it.

"Are you just going to leer at me all day or will you join me?" She asked him with a wicked tone. Sirius chuckled and entered the stall leaving little room for them to move around.

The two of them spent their time soaping each other's bodies and kissing various bits of skin. It was a loving exchange, each of them wanting to memorize the other as if this would be their last time with one another. Their dream had become a reality and it was tough for them to not think of it as a fleeting moment. When they were done washing bodies and hair Sirius stepped out and grabbed a large fluffy towel and held it up for Hermione to step into.

Hermione smiled lovingly to him when she saw him wanting to take care of her needs before his and when she stepped into the towel he wrapped his arms and the towel around her. She tilted her head when she turned slightly and managed to catch his lips for a soft kiss before murmuring her thanks.

The two of them dried themselves off. Hermione had finished first and she couldn't help herself when she saw a smaller towel folded on the countertop. Grabbing the towel she twirled it around and with a deft flick and swish the towel snapped loudly and nipped Sirius in the rump. He jumped forward and grabbed his butt cheek and turned to give Hermione an evil glare. Her eyes widened and she suddenly realized just how vulnerable she was and with another shriek she ran into the bedroom to escape.

Sirius jumped and ran forward only to smash into her back when he rounded the corner to follow her into the bedroom. Sirius heard her grunt from the impact and his hands darted out reflexively to catch her before she fell.

"Hermione I can't believe you. Do you realize what kind of situation you two are in? Ahhh." Remus growled in frustration while flinging his hands into the air.

"Sirius really you couldn't wait till after this whole mess is behind us?" Remus continued.

"I well, er…no.." Sirius replied sheepishly.

"Remus, what if we don't have a chance again? There were no cameras anymore, and there was no one here well except for you now." It was Hermione's turn to look sheepish when she finished speaking.

Remus sighed softly and rubbed his face with his hand. "Well I'm just glad you two finally got over your stupidity and realized what you mean to each other. As for the camera's being removed, if I hadn't destroyed the monitors I think one of the guards would have gotten a nice view of Sirius's arse."

Hermione's face turned various shades of crimson and Sirius smirked. "It is a nice view isn't it Moony."

Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head. "For Hermione yes, for me and several guards no. Anyways, the others should be coming in to help get us all out soon, so we should get a plan together."

Hermione nodded. "Yes of course, do you mind if I do it dressed though?"

It was Remus's turn to show the various shades of red a face could turn and he nodded brusquely. "Of course, I'm sorry. You my friend should as well. The last thing we need is for your towel to slip while we make our way out of this place."

"At least it would cause a distraction." Sirius chuckled.

"You wish." Remus growled.

"No you wish." Sirius replied.

"That doesn't make any sense Padfoot." Remus chuckled.

"Ok I'm a little addled. I blame Hermione for it." Sirius said with a devilish grin.

"Just get dressed." Remus said as he laughed.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Severus were preparing themselves to make their move. There was something going on inside the base that they were unsure about, but if Harry could hazard a guess he would have to say it was compliments of Moony. Ron had determined that even though less came out of the base than entered it they would have to take advantage of whatever confusion was abound.

His friend's sharp eyes indicated where cameras were located on the building and they had created their route that they would take. Their plan was to disable the cameras surrounding the building first and then get themselves within.

Harry had notified Albus that they were about to make their move by calling Ron's father on a cell phone. The man's obsession with all things muggle made the ownership of such an instrument a necessity and at moments like this Harry was thankful he did. Magic was great, but sometimes Muggles had some great technological items.

With their plan of attack ready the group of men ran swiftly through the trees, winding their way down into the revine with stealth and speed. Night was falling now and the darkness would only help them to hide. Halfway down to their destination Harry realized that Severus had stopped following. He called out to Ron for him to wait and when he turned to look at his old potion's professor he saw an emotion on the man's face he didn't think he had ever seen before.

Horror, guilt and shock were all there within the man's dark eyes but he stood their mutely looking upwards. Harry turned his head to see what Severus was looking at. When he looked up it was just in time to catch the clouds parting themselves, much like the red sea, to reveal the large bluish white orb within the sky. Harry gasped and turned to ask Severus if Remus had taken his wolfsbane potion, but seeing the expression on the man's face was answer enough.

"Oh dear Merlin." Harry whispered and Severus jumped slightly as if startled and looked into the young man's green eyes.

"We need to get in there now Potter." Severus growled.

"Ron, shit Ron we need to get in there now!" Harry took off at a run and within seconds Severus and Ron followed shortly behind.


	29. Chapter 29

Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed! I'm so glad that you all are sticking with this story and I really hope that I can keep up the entertainment for you all. I'm sorry that this is so late once again. Life got away with me a bit, but I have about half of the next chapter already written so you shouldn't have to wait long for it. I decided to split what I have written to get this part up sooner and then post the rest when I have finished it to my liking. Believe it or not, most of this was written on the full moon. Lol Weird freaky coincidence.

The perspective hops around a bit in this chapter, but I hope I have managed to do it in a way that is not confusing. Please let me know if it is and I will reoganize things.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Severus ran down to the entrance of the compound but Ron raised his arm up signaling for all of them to stop when they were within thirty yards of the front entrance. They were in a rush to get the group out of the base, but they were not stupid as to run in with their guns a blazing to quote a muggle term. Silently Ron indicated the positioning of the cameras they had found on their explorations and with a few hand signals Harry had his assignment and Severus had his. Each of them were in charge of two cameras each and their job was to disable them. Several spells later they all rendezvoused at a designated location and gave the all clear signal.

"Ok, when I open the doors Severus you cover Harry who will run to the door and get a look to see if anyone is coming. I'll cover from another angle, until Harry gives us the ok and then you and I will charge to the doors and cover Harry again as he gains entrance. Got it?" Ron's voice had taken on an authoritative tone.

Severus nodded and when Ron gave him the ok he got into position. Each of them had their own tasks and soon they would be in the thick of things. Harry and Severus hid in their positions, watching for Ron's signal. Ron deftly got into his position when he noticed a muggle vehicle tracing its way through the woods. The alert signal was made and each man got out of view and watched as a man pulled up to the doors on a dirt bike.

* * *

He stood there with one foot on the ground while the bike leaned over slightly and eventually his muttered curses could be heard.

"Bloody incompetent fools the lot of them. How the hell does an entire control room get blown up? I'll kill them all for their stupidity." The man muttered.

He waited another minute until he cursed again. "Fuck, I'm going to fucking have to do this manually."

Ron watched as the man rested his vehicle against the wall and approached a hidden panel. Soon the doors slid open and the man was entering the facility. When the doors closed Ron gave Harry and Severus a signal to let them know that they would have to wait a few minutes before making their move.

Merlin couldn't believe what was happening this night. 'Figures, full moon and things go weird. Who would have thought?' he thought to himself. One of the guards had called him to inform him of the mess that was happening within the building and he immediately made his way out to the base. It would not be secure until their control room was back online, and the last thing he needed was to lose Hermione because it was insecure.

The scene that he entered into was horrific. Dogs were mauling guards, guards were screaming in pain, fire was licking the walls and guards were spraying the fire with extinguishers desperately trying to put them out. Turning his head to one side he noticed a dead guard on the ground, his throat ripped out by one of the dogs. He leaned over the body and took the man's gun before walking further into the building.

The sounds were sickening as he approached a man that had a dog trying to tear him apart. Loud rips could be heard and he wondered if it was cloth or flesh that would make such a sound. He watched curiously for a few minutes until he raised the gun and shot the dog. The animal never knew what hit him and immediately fell to the ground as the bullet pierced it's brain. Merlin looked at the man it was laying on and knew there was no chance of helping the man. Eyes were glazed over with death and the man's mouth was wide open from screaming most likely. Blood was spattered over the whitening face and in a macabre way it was rather beautiful to Merlin. If he had a camera it would be something he would photograph in black and white and frame to hang in his house.

A dog barking broke him out of his reverie and with precision aim he took the dog out from ten feet away. The third dog was taken out just as easily for him and it was then that Merlin started to bark out orders to the men. He turned to make his way to the elevator once things were under control he frowned as he suddenly noticed the outer doors of the facility. Hadn't he closed them? With a shake of his head he closed the doors and then strode to the elevator. The sooner he got to Hermione, the better he would feel.

* * *

It was time. Ron signaled the two others and they started in on their tasks. Each of them cast a disillusionment charm on themselves and with wands ready they moved in. Harry waited as Ron opened the doors and made his way to the doorway, looking in to make sure the coast was clear before making the signal.

He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the madness within and smirked knowing that this would work to their advantage. The guards and the new arrival were so busy trying to restore order that it made it a breeze for the three of them to slip into the facility and hide themselves appropriately within. They watched as the new arrival killed each dog that seemed to be attacking their own. Harry thought to himself that it was probably all thanks to Remus that they were able to get into the building so easily. He just prayed that they could get to his friend in time to prevent him from killing others.

Harry watched and waited for Ron's signal. Using the sign language that Hermione taught them in the past they communicated with each other about what the plan would be. They decided that they would make their way to the elevator and get to the others as soon as possible. It would be awhile before anyone would notice the break in with the madness ensuing within the first level.

Ron made the signal and the three men moved to the elevator, smoothly and quietly. The doors slid closed as the man that seemed to be in charge started to get things under control. They weren't sure what floor they should take, so they opted to push number three and move their way back up in the building.

* * *

Hermione finished getting herself dressed but decided to leave the sandals off and remain barefoot for the time being. She would have to remember to get Remus to transfigure them into a good pair of running shoes before they left. Hermione had gone into the bathroom to change and upon entering the bedroom again she say Sirius stretched out on the bed and Remus on the end hunched over.

"Remus are you ok?" She asked with her brow furrowed.

"I'll be fine. I haven't gotten much sleep the past few days and my head is splitting right now. We have to get you out of here first before worrying about anything else." He growled.

Hermione frowned, worried for her friend. "Do you think that you would be able to transfigure my sandals for me?"

When Remus tilted his head to look up at her Hermione gasped. "Remus, have you taken your wolfsbane potion?" She asked with sudden realization. His face was haggard and the last time she had seen her professor look like that was shortly before he transformed into a werewolf.

Remus widened his eyes and shook his head. "What time is it!" He managed to grind out from between clenched teeth.

"I don't know, but I think it is just about time for you to change." Hermione said with wide eyes.

"Sirius, get her out of here. The door is open. Go! Annnnghhhh!" Remus suddenly doubled over as the pain hit him full force.

Sirius quickly hopped off the bed and grabbed Hermione's arm. "We have to go!"

Hermione felt herself being dragged by Sirius but she turned back to yell out to her friend. "Remus we will try and help you!"

"Gooooo!" Remus managed one last time before all manner of speech left him and the change took over.

Tears flooded Hermione's eyes as she watched Remus starting to transform. "Hermione we have to go now!" Sirius growled at her and she yelped from the pain of his fingers cutting into her arm. "Now!" He yelled once again.

Hermione ran out the door and started down the stairs while Sirius closed the door of the bedroom and followed shortly behind. "What are we going to do Sirius?" She yelled as she ran down the steps.

"Run! That is what we are going to do!"

* * *

Merlin waited for the elevator to arrive and after stepping in he pressed the second floor button. The vehicle chimed softly and then lurched as it stopped and opened the doors. Sounds from each room could be heard softly as he walked down the hallway to the very end where he had left Hermione.

He slipped his key into the lock of the room and frowned when he noticed that it was already unlocked. Did she get away? He wondered to himself briefly before he opened the door. When he looked into the room his eyes widened as he saw Hermione flying down the steps with a man running just steps behind her.

"What the fuck is going on here? Who the fuck are you?" Merlin asked as he raised his gun towards the two people.

Hermione stopped and looked up the stairs with wide frightened eyes.

"Merlin not now! We have to run!" She screamed at him.

"Your not fucking going anywhere!" He screamed. Merlin hated losing control of situations, and this one seemed just to slip more and more out of his control. Suddenly a noise made him look up to where Hermione had looked previously. His brow furrowed and he wondered what the hell it was.

"What is going on? Answer me now!" Before Hermione could answer wood splintered out into the room, raining down on the three people below. Merlin's eyes widened as a giant creature ran through the bedroom door and crashed into the banister of the second level.

"What the hell is that!" He yelled and instinctively shot his gun at the creature. He managed to hit it three times, but this only caused the animal to bellow with rage and leap from the second floor down to the first and its amber eyes were red with rage.

"HOLY SHIT!" Merlin screamed and he turned and ran down the hallway towards the elevator. When he reached the end he begged as he pushed the button and when the doors slid open he yelled out, "YES!". A guard looked shocked inside the elevator and Merlin grabbed him and pulled him out of the car before running in himself. When he turned around to face the hallway it was to see the creature leaping towards the two of them and thankfully making contact with the guard just before the doors slid shut.


	30. Chapter 30

Gah! I know I said that this chapter would soon follow the last, but please forgive me. This has to have been the hardest for me of the lot. I have this clear idea of how most of the action is happening and going to happen, but there are these tie together things that I needed inspiration with! Call it a bit of writers block if you will. I really hope that this isn't confusing in any way, and that you all enjoy it!

Thanks to each and everyone of you that has reviewed. Thank you to my new readers, and especially thanks to my ever faithful readers that have been there almost from the beginning! You all encourage me so much to continue with what I have been writing, and I can only hope that I will continue to make this story a fun read.

* * *

Hermione was frozen in position with a gun aimed at her and Sirius and a werewolf transforming up the stairs. What the hell were they to do? She wondered as she looked up to the second level and then down to the first. Merlin was furious and confused and when Remus broke through the door the man stupidly started to shoot at the werewolf. Unless Merlin had a penchant for silver bullets the only thing that would be a result would be a mighty pissed off werewolf.

True to form Remus went for the human that pissed him off and at the moment it was Merlin he started to chase. Hermione ran to the door of the room, intent of closing it and blocking it, but she stopped as she saw the elevator open and Merlin shove Colin into the hallway.

Remus had leapt for the elevator but with Colin in the way he seemed to make do by attacking the stunned guard. Colin didn't even know what hit him Hermione was sure. She screamed loudly and ran into the hallway and this distracted Remus but once again turned his attention on her. "Fuck!" She yelled out and Sirius agreed with her. "Fuck is right!" he yelled. "Come on!" He screamed as he started to drag her backwards.

Suddenly the door to the medical facility opened and a man poked his head out. "What the hell is going on out here? There are….What the….?" The man was not able to finish his sentence as Remus's attention was once again diverted and he lunged at the unsuspecting man.

Hermione couldn't help but cringe at the screaming and the sounds of broken instruments and glass within the room, but she yanked on Sirius and cried out to him. "We have to get Colin!"

Sirius cursed as Hermione slipped from his grip and he chased after her as she ran down the hallway. "He is dead Hermione!" He cried out softly to her, but when he arrived at the fallen Interpol officer he saw the man breathing and in pain.

"Help me Sirius." Hermione begged as she bent down and started to lift the man by herself.

Sirius mumbled a curse and between the two of them they managed to drag Colin back to the room. They shut the door and Sirius grabbed a table to put in front of it, knowing that if Remus really wanted to get neither table nor door would stop him.

Hermione ran to the kitchen and grabbed some towels and then ran back over to Colin, pressing the cloth against the man's wounded shoulder and side. "We have to try and save him Sirius. He was trying to help us." She stated.

Sirius sighed softly but then turned to the door as more screams could be heard. Something thumped loudly against the wood, but it seemed secure enough for the moment. His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione as she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Sirius, press this against him. I have to get Remus off this floor." She stated.

"No way, if anyone is going to do that it will be me." He growled.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm the Auror here, it is my job. You will not question me on this Sirius." She growled at him.

"You don't even have magic Hermione, at least I can do wandless spells." He growled back.

"This needs something other than magic Sirius. I have a plan. Trust me please." She stated.

Sirius was going to argue with her again, but realized that this was a battle he would not win. "I need you with him Sirius, you can do some healing spells on him while I go and take care of Remus. Please…" Sirius groaned at the look on her face and knew she had broken him. "You will pay for this Granger." He growled.

"I will gladly pay later." She said with a smile before she kissed him deeply. "Take care of him Sirius."

He nodded curtly and turned his attention on the wounded man. Hermione meanwhile went to the door and moved the table. She listened carefully before attempting to open the door a crack and when she saw the coast was clear she slipped out into the hallway. Her feet were still bare and the feeling of warmth and stickiness covered the soles of her feet. Looking down she saw the puddle of blood she was stepping in and then her eyes drifted to the mangled form of a guard just by the door.

Remus seemed to be making short work of the people within the floor as several dead bodies seemed scattered here and there. She could hear him moving in one of the rooms and then the piercing scream of a guard as he found his mark. Hermione kept moving through it all, making her way to the end of the hallway to the elevator. She pushed the button when she got there and mistakenly turned to look into the medical facility.

Broken glass, mangled metal and body parts covered the floor of the room. She quickly tore her gaze away from the horrifying sight and her eyes scanned the hallway again. Bloodied footprints made a path directly towards her and the sight had her mesmerized. 'Come on, Come on…' She repeated in her mind over and over again, hoping that the elevator would soon arrive.

She had no idea what she was going to do. Hermione had lied when she said she had a plan, instead she was just flying by the seat of her pants. The soft ding of the elevator rang out and just as she started to get in she heard growling behind her. Knowing she had to move right away she swiped her hands over the floor buttons. With a nimbleness that she never knew existed in her, managed to take a step onto the railing, that lined the interior just about her waist height, and push herself up so that her hand could open the hatch on the ceiling. She was thankful for all her training in hand to hand combat for the strength she had to pull her body up onto the elevator, but just as she was about to pull her legs up through she felt her body suddenly yanked down.

Remus had charged the elevator seeing another moving creature to kill and his paws raised to knock her as she climbed up through a hole above. Hermione could hear ripping as a claw managed to slide down through the soft material of her pants and then a sickening thud and lurch as Remus's body hit the back of the elevator hard. She managed to look down through it all and see his body contort in an odd direction and his chin cracked down hard on the ground.

Hermione pulled her legs up out of the elevator while Remus lay on the floor whining softly while stunned from the fall. She replaced the door as she felt the elevator started to move, hoping that he wouldn't come to until they reached whatever floor they were headed to. While they moved she checked her legs and noted that thankfully she was unharmed, but she could not say the same for the exquisite material of her pants.

* * *

After Harry, Ron and Severus exited the elevator they searched the third floor, noting the amount of guards they would have to contend with if they should have to make a quick getaway. It was difficult for them not to take notice of the interrogation rooms and their recording devices.

Harry motioned for them to enter one of the observation rooms. It was empty save for the recording devices within. A television set was hooked up to several pieces of machinery and both Severus and Ron gave it all odd looks. Harry knew what it all was and stepping towards it he flicked a few switches and pressed a few buttons soon the monitor flickered to life. Harry cast a silencing charm on the room so they could speak freely.

"What are you doing?" Severus inquired.

"This equipment has recorded everything that has gone on in that room." His hand indicated the empty room beyond the window.

"I want to see what they are doing in there." He continued.

"But what about Remus and the others?" Ron asked.

"Both of you continue on, check the rest of the floor and come back here if you don't find them. I will follow once I have seen what I'm looking for." Harry stated.

Severus and Ron gave each other a look and with a silent understanding between them both, they agreed to work together. "Fine. Make it quick though mate." Ron stated.

"Come on man, lets get the others out of here." Ron said to Severus, not quite knowing what to call his new comrade in arms.

Severus nodded and the two men slipped out of the room, leaving Harry alone with the equipment. Fear filled him as his finger wavered over the button that would set the machine in motion but he sucked it in and watched as an image filled the screen.

He watched in horror as he saw Hermione. He saw her screaming in agony, fighting with that inner strength that he admired so much and then sobbing as she put her arms around Sirius in his dog form. Information was soaking into his brain as he heard explanations of the collar she was wearing, and realizing that her magical abilities were being stunted as were all the others. Harry saw the change of keepers and when the image cut off he wondered where she was at that moment.

It took him a few moments to realize his cheeks were wet. Of all the people in the world, Hermione was the one that he wished no harm would come to. He had thought once long ago, shortly after her parents were killed that he had lost her. Harry yearned for death that day. Remus helped him through it, as did Albus and Ron and then when his mind started to clear from the initial shock he refused to believe that she was gone. The others worried over him, thought him mad and even wondered if he would become suicidal but Harry had other plans. He vowed not to rest until he found her.

Remus ended up on the cursed end of his wand many times as a result. His DADA professor took it upon himself to slip dreamless potions on him when he felt that Harry's vow should not be taken literally. He chuckled to himself at the thought. Of course Remus stated that the mouthful of slugs was worth it to see the dark circles beneath Harry's eyes fade away. The day that Harry reunited with her again was one of the happiest. It reaffirmed that she was part of him, and always would be.

"We're here Hermione. Hang in there." Harry said aloud to himself. Before he left the room he grabbed the disk that the interrogation was on and slipped it into his robe after casting an indestructible spell upon it. He removed the silencing spell before his hand reached for the door handle and it was then that he heard the screams and running feet.

* * *

Severus followed Ron, the two of them moving out of the way when guards started to walk down the halls. Their spells were still in place and unless someone knew that they were there, they would not be seen. Instead the guards would just feel an overwhelming need to look elsewhere.

When they reached the end and most guarded point of the hallway, Ron and Severus looked at one another. This looked promising as a location that prisoners would be located. In order for them to get by though the guards would need to be taken care of.

Ron motioned a few times, giving him signals as to what the both of them would do. Getting into their positions Severus waited by the door, close to the guards, while Ron moved down the hallway. After a few moments a few loud popping sounds could be heard and Severus moved once the guards ran off down the hall. With a quick Alohamora the door to the cell block opened and he slipped into the area.

He couldn't help but freeze and gape at the large cell block in horror. The walls were entirely made of glass, or something that looked like glass at least. Because of this he could see all the occupants within them and the conditions that they must have been living in for their entire captivity. His dark eyes scanned the room, desperately searching for one body in particular until suddenly he found him, in the middle row.

Quickly he ran down the aisle and opened the cell door. Draco awoke instantly from his slumber and his eyes darted around the cell. "Whose there?" He called out. Severus removed the disillusionment charm and he could see the look of relief fill Draco's face.

"Come, we must get you and the others out of here." Severus stated in a clipped tone.

Draco nodded, understanding the state of urgency they were in and followed Severus out of the room that had held him for so long. They moved to the cell that held the young girl within. She had been watching them with large fearful eyes and when the door of her cell was opened Severus called out harshly for the girl to come with them. The young girl nodded and started to run to follow them, but suddenly cried out and ran back into the cell. Draco watched as she grabbed something from beneath her mattress, when she turned back around she held up her wand and both men nodded in understanding.

Both men started down the aisle to head over towards Ginny's cell and so both men missed the young girl placing the hand that she had behind her back into her cloak and pocketing the vials that had been hidden from their view.

When they reached Ginny's cell they opened the door and Draco pushed past Severus to help the young witch up from her bed. There was a quiet look between the two of them and Severus wondered if there was something more to their relationship that he did not know of, or perhaps their incarceration has brought to light new emotions. Suddenly all of them turned their heads as a loud crash reverberated throughout the room and the sounds of loud screams could be heard as well as sickening thuds accompanied by the snarls and growls of a large creature.

Immediately guilt flooded Severus and he knew that his forgetfulness on this matter was to blame. Many deaths would be at the hands of not just Remus in his werewolf form, but his own because of his own mistakes.

"Quick! Get in!" Severus cried as he pushed Ginny, Draco and the young girl all back into the cell. Closing the door behind them he knew that this would be their safest location until they could find the right moment to cast a few spells at Remus.


	31. Chapter 31

Again this took awhile! I see all this action in my head and I seem to get stuck on these tiny details that end up taking me forever to put down in print! Well here it is…I have oh so much more going on in this head of mine that hopefully it will all come out smoothly! I hope this came out in a non confusing way and that you all enjoy it!

I have had some new readers review my story and I really thank each and everyone of you for it. My next chapter I will say my thanks properly as I have been remiss in doing so lately! Please do review though for I really love to hear everyone's input on if they are enjoying things or not!

Thank you all!

* * *

"Albus." Arthur's voice called out to the headmaster, interrupting him from thoughts of all the recent events in the last week. He turned his head to the fireplace to see the newly appointed Minister of Magic's head in his fireplace.

With a familiar twinkle he gave the man a smile as he spoke. "Ah good day Minister. I trust you are doing well in your new position?"

He tried to contain his chuckle as he saw the man blush lightly and look uncomfortable. "Albus, I told you to stop with that Minister nonsense didn't I?"

"Ah yes you did, forgive me Arthur. Now what brings you to my fireplace?" He inquired as he stood up and walked to the center of his office to get a better view.

"We need to meet. I have contacted Fred and George as well as Tonks and Moody and let them know to meet at Grimmauld in thirty minutes." Albus couldn't help but feel proud of the authority in Arthur's voice. The man deserved his new position but was saddened that Molly was not around to see her husband. She had been a terrible loss to the order and it had taken a greater toll on her husband and children. Their family was so close knit and Molly in a lot of ways was the glue that kept not only them together, but many within the order as well.

Through her loss the order learned just how much she contributed to their group and each of them struggled in their own way to repair the gaping holes that were left as a result of her death. In time it was their tribute to the kind a motherly woman to band together and become a family unit. Even Severus grudgingly admitted that she had been important in his life. He probably would have starved had she not force fed him each time he was within her view, and even though the man hated it he couldn't help but feel something each time the woman had stood up for him so adamantly.

Albus nodded and told Arthur that he would be there promptly.

The group all sat around waiting as Dumbledore made his entrance and sat down to join them.

"Good, now that everyone is here I will start." Arthur stated as he picked up a thick file.

"Now we have been on alert since Harry, Ron and Severus went out to follow Remus using the tracker potion. In the last few hours there has been a severe influx of magic just outside of Paris in this location." With a flick of his wand he opened a map and levitated it beside him. He pointed to the map with the tip of his wand to show the location he was speaking of.

"What is odd about this influx though is the intensity and the changes within them. It started off strong at first, but has now dimmed slightly. Upon further investigation in previous records of the area we have noted the use of magic, but not enough to actually have flagged the Ministry into action. I took some time to inspect our recordings even further and there must be some strong wards in the area covering spell usage because the traces of some of the spells used are actually unforgivables." Arthur paused as he looked around the faces in front of him.

"You mean to say that the unforgivables have been unnoticed because they have appeared to look like standard spells?" Tonks inquired.

"That is exactly what I'm saying. Whatever wards they have up are strong ones, which means that we have a fairly powerful wizard or witch in league with whoever this is we are dealing with." The group of people started talking to each other, all speculating on what this could actually mean for the wizarding community.

Dumbledore cleared his throat a few times as he stood in front of them. Arthur nodded to the headmaster and sat down, allowing Albus to take over the meeting.

"It appears that we are dealing with more than just muggles in this situation, so we must take every caution." The group muttered in agreement before Albus continued.

"From the look of the amount of magic being used it would appear that the three have made their move to rescue the rest. They will need backup support now more than ever. Fred and George, you two gather a group of Aurors and make your way to the location. Surround the area while Tonks and Moody and their team size up what you are dealing with and enter to help out Harry, Ron and Severus. We don't know what to expect, so use caution." Albus looked about waiting for any questions but seeing as there was none they closed the meeting and each went to gather their forces.

* * *

Hermione watched through the grate of the top of the elevator while her chest heaved deeply from her sudden burst of adrenaline. Remus was laying on the floor of the elevator, recouping from his chin clapping so hard onto the floor until the chime could be heard as the elevator lurched to a stop. Remus lifted his head and looked up to the roof of the car and she knew that his eyes were locked on hers.

"What the fuck!" A voice exclaimed and Hermione watched as Remus's head snapped to the door of the elevator. A loud growl rumbled through his body and then Hermione could see him no more. She knew exactly what was happening though as the loud screams filled the hallway and the sound of rending flesh could be heard. 'What floor are we on?' She wondered to herself.

She gathered her courage to open the door on the roof so that she could hang down to see what was going on. Slowly she lowered herself until she could see down into the hallway. Blood covered the floor and people were running down the hallway screaming as Remus bounded behind, catching one person and then another. A door halfway down opened suddenly and Hermione felt like screaming out as she saw Harry run out of the room.

Without thinking she dropped down from the roof and landed like a cat onto her feet and hands. She bounded out of the elevator and jumped over a fallen body, but as her foot came down it was to land into a pool of blood and her leg slid and sent her sprawling down onto the ground. Hermione cried out as she felt a muscle in her groin pull and the impact of the floor upon her tailbone.

"Hermione!"

Hermione looked up with tears in her eyes at the heavenly voice that called out to her. "Harry.."

"Shhhh it is ok 'Mione, we are here." He said as he ran up to her.

"Remus..we need to get him out of here Harry." Hermione said as Harry helped her up.

"Bloody Hell!" A familiar voice shouted from down the hall.

"Oh Merlin, Ron!" Harry cried out as he realized his friend and Severus would not be expecting a werewolf to be heading straight for them. Harry leapt away from Hermione shouting at her to stay where she was while he charged into danger.

Hermione meanwhile furrowed her brow as anger overtook her. How dare he think that she should just stay behind like a child, but then she realized that she had stomped her foot and huffed loudly. She smacked her palm onto her forehead and muttered to herself. "I'm such a child."

"Think Hermione, think." If a muggle were to look at her at that moment, they would probably be vaguely reminded of a twisted version of a muggle children's classic called '_Winnie the Pooh'_. Suddenly an idea popped into her head and her eyes scanned the hallway.

"It has to be here." She muttered to herself as she ran to one of the doors beside the elevator. One by one she checked each room until finally she shouted gleefully in triumph. Three doors down on the left side of the hall the place that she was looking for was found and she ran in.

* * *

"Draco, take my wand and I will go wandless…" Severus started until he saw the blond boy shaking his head.

"I can't use it Severus." He stated as he put his hand on the silver collar around his neck. "This won't allow us to."

Severus gave him a confused look for a moment, but nodded knowing that he would learn the details after they were all safe.

Draco watched as his old potion's professor started thinking a way to try and keep them all safe until he turned to look at Ginny. He took the young witch's hand in his and gave her a concerned look.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Ginny furrowed her brow at him and put a hand on his cheek. "Are you alright? I saw what Hermione did to you…"

Draco shook his head. "She had to do that you know. She apologized before she cast the spell on me. I'm not quite sure what she is up to, but I have a feeling she is learning more than we could have hoped to cooped up in these cells."

Suddenly their conversation was cut off when movement was seen down the other row of cells. They all ran to the wall to watch as a group of guards and employees burst into the room. Their mouths were wide from their screams and their faces filled with horror and panic. They broke off into groups as they ran into cells, closing the doors and trying to hold them fast against the onslaught of terror that was Remus Lupin the werewolf.

Severus opened the door of the cell and cast locking charms onto all the doors, effectively sealing in all the occupants within. Draco couldn't help but chuckle quietly as he realized they were all trapped within their own jail, but they would not realize until it was too late.

Ron and Harry burst through the door now and with a quick glance they found the rest of the group and ran off in their direction. Not seconds behind them the large furry figure burst into the room in a flurry of blood and drool. Nails scrabbled over the floor as Remus tried to gain purchase on the flooring. First he ran into the walls of the cells, sending each group of guards and employees across their cells and tripping onto the floor. The walls were thick and strong though and kept them all safe from the nails and teeth threatening to tear them apart.

The werewolf assessed the room then, his body still except for the loud panting as he regained his breath. Harry and Ron ran down the aisle and Severus opened the door for them, letting them run into the little room. The werewolf seemed to realize that the occupants within were ones that he could not reach and then noticed a door open with warm bodies that he could rend. A growl rippled through his throat and he started to slowly creep his way towards them. Harry was just about to run into the room when he realized something.

"Fuck!" He yelled out.

Draco wondered what was wrong with Harry and why the hell he wasn't running into a room that would keep him safe. His eyes moved towards Remus and suddenly the werewolf stopped, his ears flickered and his head turned suddenly. A moment of silence was broken only by each of their loud breathing. One second, then another and then suddenly Remus howled loudly and ran out the exit of the cell block.

"Where did he go?" Draco asked quietly.

"Hermione…" Harry stated quietly with a grim look on his face.

* * *

Remus saw flesh to destroy, blood to lap up and more creatures to kill and he was about to do so when he heard it. The female, he recognized the female. He had heard this one before but she had disappeared on him so long ago. The call was for him, she would be his if he could catch her. His mate perhaps? He needed to find out.

He howled his response to her, 'I'm coming' he called out and his muscles bunched up tightly and released as he bounded out of the room towards her.


	32. Chapter 32

A quick update for you all! I said I would do all my thanks for reviews in this one, but I'm in a hurry and will do so in the next chapter when I have the time to thank everyone properly. I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks to all the new readers and of course all my devoted ones as well!

* * *

Hermione had propped the door open to allow Remus to run through and when she wedged it enough that it wouldn't move she started up the steps within the stairwell. She had distracted him once long ago in school this way and she planned to do it once again. Her friends were in trouble and she needed to be quick, but her groin was aching from having been pulled earlier and her tailbone throbbed from being bruised.

Up the stairs she went, passing by the door that entered into the hallway of the second level. She thought of Colin and Sirius as she passed it by hoping that both men were alright. If the Interpol officer managed to live, his life would be much different than the one he grew up in. Hermione prayed that he would be fine though, even though she knew it would cause Remus serious distress and guilt.

Upwards she continued and figured that she had enough of a head start when she reached halfway between the first and second level. She stopped and cupped her hands over her mouth and as she had done once in the past she howled loud and long. With a brief pause to listen for any response she tried again, once again cupping her hands over her mouth. This time when she stopped to listen she heard it, his howl in response and she knew that it was time for her to run and run hard.

Her breath was coming out in raspy pants as she climbed the steps causing her lungs to sting from the exertion. It wasn't until she heard the nails scrapping roughly over the steps that she realized the terror and danger of what she had done. Panic was starting to overtake her as it dawned on her that he was bounding upwards at a faster clip than she had realized.

There it was, the door, her goal and hopefully her salvation. She ran into it and yanked on the doorknob, fumbling slightly in her fear and panic. Hermione yanked the door open and ran through and as she turned to figure where she would run she felt her body lurch and thump into the wall. The breath was knocked out of her and her mind was dazed as her body slid down onto the ground. She lay flat out, prone in her dizziness until she felt the paws push down onto her shoulders and the hot breath of a werewolf on her cheek.

* * *

The female was close, the werewolf thought as he bounded up the steps. She was there in front of him, her scent was invading his nostrils and it was familiar. Yes this was the one that he had heard long ago, that had evaded his search due to the creatures that had captured his attention instead. This time though he would have her.

When he saw the opening and the creature there in front of it his anger took over and he would not have himself distracted again. He wanted the female, he wanted his mate. His pace quickened and he thrust himself hard against the creature and sent her hard against the wall. He hit the wall hard himself and took a moment to collect himself and sniffed the air. Her scent was there but the female was not.

He tilted his head down to the creature on the floor and he stepped closer taking in her scent. This was the one that he had sensed, the female he was searching for but she was not like him this he knew. Remus stepped closer placing his paws onto her shoulders and effectively pinning her down so that she couldn't get away again. His nose pressed down against her neck and he felt the fear well up inside the creature beneath him. No she was not like him at all, but he knew that he could make her like him. He wanted his mate and he could claim her now.

* * *

Hermione shivered in fear as she felt Remus above her. She couldn't help but look up at him and when she saw the werewolf deep in thought she felt an even deeper fear. Werewolves were mindless in their wolf state and to see one that was thinking had her worried about what was to happen. The wolf's eyes locked on hers and her mind went numb as she contemplated what he was thinking about.

He growled above her, the rumbling went through his body and she felt the vibration of seep into her shoulders where his paws rested. "Remus no…" She said softly and immediately regretted it when she saw the lips of his muzzle curl up to show his teeth. This was it she thought to herself. He would kill her or turn her.

"Holy Shit, what the fuck is that!" Hermione heard the voice over the low growls and then two loud gunshots rang through the air. Seconds afterwards she winced as Remus yelped in pain and she couldn't help but feel bad for her friend as he suffered abuse for the second time tonight from the bullets shot at him. Again though the bullets were ineffective as they were not silver and the ire of the wolf was once again raised.

The weight against her chest lifted as the wolf leapt off her and Hermione winced as she saw the guard's blood spatter against the wall as Remus tore into his body. She needed to get out of there, her mind screamed at herself and so she lifted herself painfully off the floor and limped into the stairwell. She shut the door behind herself and went down the stairwell as fast as she was able, trusting that the guards would keep the wolf occupied on the first floor and perhaps the wolf would even be let out from wherever they were all being kept.

When she reached the bottom level it was to face a panting Harry. "I'm fine Harry, but you have to help me now."

"Of course Hermione, just a second." Harry turned back into the hallway and called out to Ron. "Oy Ron, get the others to safety 'Mione is alright but I need to go with her."

"Okay Mate!" Ron's voice called back and soon Harry and Hermione were walking back up the stairs to the second level.

Harry tried to ask her several times what happened with Remus, but she gave him a noncommittal answer for the most part, only letting him know that he was on the first floor. They entered the second floor doorway when the reached it and Harry took a moment to look at the carnage of the hallway.

"Dear sweet Merlin." His voice rasped out.

"Harry, I need you to understand something ok." Hermione stated as she stopped her friend and gave him a serious look.

"What is it 'Mione?" He asked with a look of concern on his face.

"There is someone that was bitten. He looks like a guard, but he isn't. He is Interpol and was trying to help me out." She paused for a moment before continuing. "His name is Colin. You will help him right?" Hermione was worried that Harry's anger would get the better of him when he saw Colin in the guard's clothing.

His eyes regarded her for a minute until he nodded. "He was trying to help you 'Mione' so we will try and help him. He may not want to live though knowing what he might become." Harry said with dread in his tone.

"I understand that Harry, but we have to try at least." She stated and he nodded in understanding. "Sirius and him are in the room at the end of the hall, we should go now before Sirius starts to freak out."

Harry chuckled softly knowing full well that his Godfather was probably climbing the walls right about now. He took the lead and Hermione followed. When he entered the room Sirius looked up with relief. "Thank Merlin, I don't know how much longer I can keep him alive."

Harry knelt down beside the fallen man and reached into his pocket for a vial of healing draught he had inside. "I thought these would come in handy." He said as he held up the vial showing Sirius. His Godfather nodded in understanding and watched as Harry poured the liquid down the wounded man's throat.

He pulled the fabric of the man's clothing aside to look at the wound and noticed that Sirius had managed to get it sealed, although it still appeared red and angry. The venom would be working its way through the man's body right about now, transforming the DNA that would eventually react upon the next full moon.

"You did a good job Sirius, he probably would have died outright had you not healed him." Harry stated.

"Hermione wouldn't let me leave him. Damn that woman and her recklessness. I blame you entirely for it you know. You are a bad influence on her." Sirius stated in frustration.

Harry was pretty sure that Hermione was red faced and fuming at that moment, but he didn't turn to see knowing full well that he would hear her tirade soon enough.

"She obviously found you, is she alright? The damn fool ran off to distract Remus. I'm the bloody animagus, it should have been me." Sirius continued.

"Of course she is alright, she is right behind me you idiot." Harry stated turning around.

Sirius mumbled loud enough for Harry to hear. "He calls me the idiot…"

"Shit…Hermione!" Harry yelled out as he jumped up to run to the door.

* * *

Hermione had followed Harry for a moment until she heard a soft whimpering sound in one of the rooms. Her attention diverted she trusted Harry to take care of Colin and Sirius while she checked on the soft noise. She entered the room and looked about the furniture that had been tossed this way and that.

"Hello.." She called out softly.

"H..Her..Hermione?" A soft voice cried out in response.

Hermione followed the sound and found the source hidden inside a kitchen cupboard. "Hailey?" She asked softly and in a comforting tone.

A sob escaped the young girl's lips and she moved forward so that the light hit her young face. "Hermione, I thought everyone was dead…all the blood and screams." The young witch started crying softly and Hermione pulled her into her arms to comfort her. Her hand gripped the back of the girl's hair and she pulled back to look down at Hailey.

"What has happened Hailey…your hair, it is gone." Hermione asked with shock in her voice.

"I don't know why, they took me when everyone was sleeping. They brought me here and cut off all my hair." Hailey reached up to touch the short cropped hair and another sob escaped. "I must look horrible…" Her voice was filled with teenage angst as the realization that her precious hair had been shorn.

Hermione frowned, wondering why on earth they would do this to a little girl but she needed to comfort her not worry her. "It's ok, we are safe now. Harry is here for us. We are going home soon. Your hair will grow back, you will be fine Hailey."

Hailey nodded against her chest and Hermione felt the young witch trying to rein in her emotions. "Of course, it could be a lot worse couldn't it…" Hailey looked down at a fallen body that was close to where her hiding spot was located. She had narrowly escaped that death herself and her hair was the last thing that she should be worried about.

"Come on Hailey, I'll take you to Harry and Sirius." Hermione said, but before she could turn around she felt the tip of a wand pressed up against her throat and then the butt of a gun entered her vision and pressed up against Hailey's forehead.

"Hello Poppet."


	33. Chapter 33

Ok here it is…the next chappie! Enjoy it all. I have put all my thank yous down at the bottom of my story as I have been remiss and they are long.

* * *

"He will fucking see me so just shut the hell up!" Devon heard the angry voice bellow outside the confines of his office. He leaned forward and pushed a button on the phone. 

"Daphne, let the poor boy in will you before a blood vessel pops and I lose one of my best." Devon said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

He watched the door as the beautiful and deadly man burst through it.

"Devon we have a fucking big problem." Merlin stated while panting loudly.

Devon watched as the young man panted and knew that he must have high tailed it over to the office rather quickly.

"What is the problem Merlin?" He asked in a calm and soothing tone.

"It's the base, things are seriously fucked up over there and we may lose everyone." Merlin started.

"Ah good, then things are going according to plan." Devon purred and steepled his fingers while his brain thought through all the details before him.

Merlin looked at him in a stunned manner. "You mean you knew what was going to happen tonight?"

"Of course my boy. We are dealing with wizards and they would have the means to discover where their lost ones have disappeared to." Devon clarified.

"So you release some sort of fucking hell dog to kill everyone?" Merlin was stunned at the stupidity of the supposed plan of Devon's.

This time it was Devon that held a stunned look. "Hell dog? What are you talking about man?"

"So you didn't know about that. This is what I mean, things are fucked up. I think we may have lost our strongest witch to the damn thing, and I just about had her turned to our side. The last I saw was the thing trying to eat one of our guards." Merlin said, filling Devon in. "It all started when the control room blew up and the dogs got let out and started attacking everyone."

"Hmm, it would seem that there is more to what is going on than I had anticipated. We will not worry about it until I see what the damages are. As long as my plan moves forward then I have no cares about the loss of life in the base." Devon stated as he stood up and gathered his coat.

"Daphne, tell Brock to pull the car around." Devon said into the phone.

"Come Merlin, it is time to see how bad the situation is at the base." Devon strode past the young man.

"What plan are you talking about Devon? I haven't been filled in on any of this." Merlin asked in a confused tone.

"My dear boy," Devon started as he turned to face Merlin. "you and you alone are the only person that I would ever trust with my life. But realize this, I trust no one, absolutely no one with my plans."

Leave them all in the dark and give them information on a need to know basis, this was how Devon had lead his life and gained all his power to date and he was not about to stop now.

"Come on, lets get to the base and see what has happened."

The two men left the office.

* * *

"Marcus, I thought you went off to hide in the hole that you belong in." Hermione ground out between clenched teeth. 

"Let her go Malcolm. It is me you want, so just let the girl go." She continued as she looked at the man who used to be her capture.

"No, I think not Hermione. You see I think this pretty little thing will keep you in line. Marcus and I have decided that we both want a little fun with you and have decided that we are willing to share." Malcolm purred as he reached a hand towards Hermione and slid it down her side, tracing the swell of her her breast.

"Now poppet, you are going to come nice and quietly with us, or the little lass will feel a bullet in her brain." Marcus purred into her ear.

"Have I made myself clear?" He asked as he pulled her body against his chest and he rubbed himself against her.

"Very." She stated and knew she had to cooperate until she saw an opening that both herself and Hailey could take. Marcus yanked on her arm and she allowed herself to be dragged beside him while Malcolm followed with Hailey by his. She could see the fear in the young witches face and to try and soothe her she signed, 'It will be ok' to the girl.

Hailey watched the motions of Hermione's hands and nodded in response. Hermione was glad that the young witch had confidence in her and that there was still hope for them.

The two men dragged them to the elevator with slight difficulties due to the scattered bodies blocking their way. When they turned around it was to see Harry and Sirius bursting out of the room and freezing when they saw Hermione and Marcus just before the doors closed.

"No!" Both men yelled out and Marcus gave them a small wave with a smug grin on his face. "Ta ta!" He yelled back to them and pressed the wand up against Hermione's chin again so that she had to tilt her head up so as to ease the pressure. She knew that Harry and Sirius would think it was just herself that had been captured as Hailey was tucked in the front corner by the buttons. It wouldn't be until they found out that Hailey was missing that they would realize it Hermione thought sadly to herself.

When the elevator reached the first floor the two men dragged Hermione and Hailey out of the building. Hermione noted the amount of dead bodies and the door that stood wide open revealing potential freedom and the end of their nightmare, but somehow Hermione knew that it was just getting worse instead of better. She tried not to slide in the blood on the floor or trip on any limbs while being dragged and when they left the building she felt the sticks, leaves and rocks on the bottom of her feet.

After wincing a few times and crying out softly Marcus realized that she was not wearing any shoes and lifted her up into his arms. "Come on we need to get the fuck out of here Malcolm." He growled and Hermione tried not to retch from the feeling of his hot breath against her neck.

"Your not actually going to carry me the whole way are you?" Hermione asked with and incredulous tone.

"Of course not poppet, but I will let you sit in my lap when we get in the car if you would like." He brushed his lips against Hermione's ear and she jerked away from him.

"Keep doing that and I'll vomit on you." She ground out.

"Not into that poppet, but thanks for the offer." He said with a chuckle.

When they were about ten feet from the building Marcus stopped and flicked his wand at the doors, closing them and then locking them. He added a couple of wards to slow down Harry and the others, allowing them time to get away with their captives.

"Bastard." Hermione whispered.

"Soon I'll have you calling me many other names Hermione, I promise you that." Marcus purred suggestively.

Hermione watched over Marcus's shoulder as the building she had been held in for the last few days shrank in size. The farther they got from it the more Hermione's hopes were dashed until suddenly the air filled with the sounds of loud cracks. She couldn't help but gasp as she saw members of the order and aurors surrounding the building. Instinctively she took air into her lungs until she felt the tip of the wand at her throat once again, silencing her.

"Do it and I'll have Malcolm rape your little Hailey right before he kills her." Marcus said in a deadly tone.

Hermione nodded silently and closed her eyes in resignation.

* * *

Harry yelled at Sirius to stay with Colin and ran down the hallway. Immediately he went for the stairwell to try and beat Marcus and Hermione up to the first level, but he wasn't counting on Ron and Severus using them as well. 

"Harry, did you find her? Where is Sirius?" Ron asked.

"Not now Ron, not now!" Harry yelled while pushing past the two men.

"What's wrong?" Severus bellowed.

"Hermione! Flint has her." Harry replied as he flew up the steps. When he managed to exit the stairwell it was to see Hermione and Flint standing outside in front of the doors. He could make out two other figures further off, but he couldn't quite see who they were. It looked like a muggle and a young boy though to Harry.

He ran forward knowing he was so close and that he could save his friend until suddenly the doors slammed in his face.

"Shit!" He cried out and lifted his wand to open them, only he was too late. The wards settled about the doors and Harry knew that it would take him awhile to break through without help. He ran back over to the stairwell and nearly plowed into Ron, Severus, Draco, Ginny and Hailey.

"I need help guys, they threw up wards and we need to break through them pronto!" Harry said.

He started running for the doors again when he remembered Sirius and Colin. "Draco and Ginny, Sirius is on the second floor in the room at the end of the hall. He needs help now!"

Without waiting to see if the two would respond he turned back and focused his attention on the doors.

* * *

The young girl hid herself behind Severus and Ron, acting the perfect little scared child while she watched the orders being barked out by Harry Potter. She watched as Draco and Ginny ran back down the stairwell and then turned to see Ron and Severus and joined Harry in trying to break the wards on the doors. 

It was this time that she thought she could take advantage of the moment. She reached into her inner robe pocket and pulled out a vial. Reaching into a different pocket, she pulled out a thick ponytail of hair. Picking out a strand she placed the ponytail back into her pocket before slipping it into the vial after opening it.

All was going according to plan. With Remus running through the building like the mad werewolf he is, the little chit Hailey was surely dead by now. The young girl slugged back the wretched potion and cringed from the horrible flavour. By the time her poly potion supply ran out she would be safely ensconced in the wizarding world and then she would be able to brew some fresh. For now though she didn't have to worry for at least an hour until her next dosage.

Her young eyes scanned the three men whose wands were outstretched, but there was one in particular that captured her interest. She drank him and his form in. "Soon..soon I will have you." She purred softly.

* * *

Remus was angry. She had gotten away from him again! The forest called to him as he saw the open doors of the building though and soon he was running free, feeling the wind rushing against his body. The sounds surrounded him and he felt the peace he was longing for creep into his system. 

The stench of two legged creatures was wearing off, and instead the familiar scents of nature filled him. The musk of a buck caught his attention, but his hunger was satisfied from feeding so much this evening. His body was aching from the wounds from the two legged creature's weapons. He could feel the invasion within his body and so he stopped to inspect his wounds.

He knew that his body would recover, it had already pushed the bits of metal that had been inside of him but he would be sore for the rest of the night. After licking his wounds for a bit he stuck his nose into the air to gather in the surrounding scents. There was a slight breeze in the air and all he smelled was the bunny and creek that were close by, that is until the breeze shifted and it carried the scent he was longing for.

It was her. She was a distance from him, but he was swift and sure footed and surely she would not be able to evade him a third time. Soon. His body ached for a different reason now as the thoughts of his mate invaded his mind. Soon. His mind said once again before he howled long and deep and took off, galloping towards the scent.

* * *

Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

I write these chapters and worry every time I post them, wondering if you all will enjoy them as much as I enjoy writing them. Every time I see your reviews though I feel such joy that you are! I'm thrilled that I'm not so way off base that you all are thinking, "My gosh this gal is a freak with all her twists and turns." Lol

I know you all probably curse my name when you see some of my cliffies though! I'm sorry for that, I know just how you feel because I get the same way when I hit one myself. But then I remember how anxious I am to see that update and when I get my author alert I'll cackle gleefully and savour every word written. I don't know if I invoke that in anyone, but I hope I can keep you all enjoying the story until the end…if it ends. Lol

Anyways on with the individual thanks and comments!

To my regular reviewers…

moonyNZ, PadfootsLuvr, Mai Gamit, Ashes Kittyhawk, lee74, Elbereth Gilthoniel, Dark Me, Remus Gurl, readingfreak997

Thank you all so much! You all are amazing and I love seeing each and every one of your comments! I love knowing what you thought of my chapters and I love seeing your names fill my email!

If I have missed one of my regular reviewers, forgive me please as I have been remiss in thanking people the last few chapters. I will try not to do so again!

To my new reviewers…

JTBJAB, CharmedLeoLvr, Raspberri13, bookluva629, Tanuki (jo-chan, Remusgrl01

I love seeing new faces in my reviews and I'm thrilled that you have enjoyed my story! I only hope that I can strive to keep your attention throughout and keep up the level of quality that you should expect in a story you enjoy!

If I have missed any new readers, again I apologize for it is not my intention to neglect anyone. I hang my head in shame for not thanking reviewers properly the last few chapters.

Kristy Mac8 – I'm so happy you are enjoying my story and I hope that you will continue to read it! In response about your wee nitpick, I must honestly say that my answer is pure ignorance. I being a Canadian was completely unaware that there was actually a British version of the alphabet in sign language. I am well versed in the Americanized version so that is the reason that I used it instead. When I have learned the entire British version, I shall edit my chapters according to fix the minor flaw. Thank you so much for pointing it out! I never would have been able to learn the two handed alphabet otherwise! I hope you will forgive my minor indiscretion though for now.

dancing in rain – As always you inspire me! I'm so thrilled after each time I talk to you about my story that I get re-energized and excited about the upcoming chappies that I get to write. I always appreciate your comments and insights and I hope that you don't tire of my incessant questions about future chapters and situations!

For anyone that I missed…

Thank you! I love you all!

For anyone that enjoys riddles….this site had me hooked and I have gotten myself to level 43 in it so far. Warning though…this site is addictive!

deathball. net/ notpron

Take out spaces..as this is to allow the site to be seen on the page.


	34. Chapter 34

I'm really sorry for the delay on this chapter folks. Between being sick, not being able to upload to fanfiction and then my bloody internet was knocked out for days I have not been able to get much luck in upload time. This time though I will keep my fingers crossed!

Once again I apologize. I will be placing my thank you notes at the bottom of my chapters from now on.

* * *

Sirius watched as Harry ran down the hallway and into a doorway near the end. He couldn't help himself and started to curse loudly while he hit the wall with his fist and feet.

"Bloody hell!" He cursed loudly. "Ordered around like a damn dog." He grumbled as he resigned himself and went back to his charge.

Insecurities couldn't help but set into him. So familiar were the feelings, so much like the helplessness he felt while cooped up in Azkaban. The people he loved back then killed and in danger and he couldn't do anything about it. The frustration that he felt while caught in the veil resurfaced. So many times he had tried and tried to get in contact with those he loved and time and time again he was let down. Only she was the one that was able to help him.

She, the woman he now freely admitted to himself that he loved deeply. She, the one that was too intelligent, too young, too beautiful for him to deserve and yet it was him that she seemed to have chosen. Luck, so many times James and Remus accused him of having it in spades and it wasn't believed by him until he lay replete and sweaty beside her. Now she was in trouble, his love, his Hermione and he was tied down like a dog and is unable to help save her.

He sighed and let his head fall forward against the wall. Sirius turned towards Colin and walked over to him, lowering himself to his knees so he could check the man out. His wounds had been healed to the best of his wandless abilities, but he wasn't able to heal him completely. The healing draft that Harry had given to Colin though appeared to be working and the man's complexion was looking far less unhealthy.

Sirius lifted his hands and looked down at them. It was the first time he really noticed the blood on them. His gaze drifted down to his clothing and he smoothed his palms over the damp cloth that pressed against his skin. So much blood and not a stitch of it was his own. Colin had lost a lot, and most of it seemed to have managed to get onto his clothes. Clothes, thinking of the garments suddenly triggered something in his mind. "The cloak!" He suddenly stood up and ran up the stairs.

* * *

Draco and Ginny turned to head down the stairwell, leaving Hailey to watch as Severus, Ron and Harry tried to break through the wards that had been cast on the compound doors. The two of them walked in silence, but each of their minds were racing on the events of the night and the person they were with. Neither dared to break the silence though as they stepped into the hallway of the second floor.

Ginny couldn't help but gasp at the sight that greeted them. Bodies and blood lay strewn about them. Ginny didn't know why but her mind brought up a scene she had once seen in a muggle movie called. Hermione had lauded the movie as being one of the greats in horrors and Ginny was fascinated by it as well as scared witless. The scene that came to her mind replayed vividly, as it was always one that disturbed her the most in the movie. The elevator doors opened and waves of blood poured out of them, filling the hallways. Perhaps it had disturbed her the most knowing that it was like a metaphor in some ways. So much death, pouring from the bowels of the building as if to purge itself of it and yet it was like a torrent as if wanting to sweep everyone up into it. Her eyes flickered to the elevator for a moment, almost expecting it to open and spew out the dark fluid so that it would take her and Draco away to add it to the numbers of the dead within its walls.

Ginny felt the urge to laugh suddenly as her mind shifted gears to try and remember the movie's title. As if the title of a movie was more important than the fact that dead bodies surrounded her at that very moment. Perhaps it was a way to cope, she wondered silently.

Draco was familiar with the sight of the hallway. War was never a clean thing, and even a wizard's war could be bloody. His tenure as a spy for the order placed him in many situations where death was kind to the victims of Voldemort's deatheaters. He was worried for Ginny though, not sure what she had seen in her past. Being a year behind the rest of the gang meant that she had not been as involved in the dealings with the order and the upcoming war. Her family though had been immersed in it and so not a lot of details would have escaped her. Draco knew that Ginny was a clever witch, not as book smart as Hermione but she was clever in a more Slytherin way. Cunning, that would be the way that Draco would describe her. Cunning and beautiful.

Draco took Ginny's arm and felt her jump at the contact. She turned to him and gave him an uneasy smile. He smiled back to her to try and reassure her and the two of them wandered down the hallway to the doorway that Sirius should be waiting.

When they entered the room there was only a man laying on the floor in front of him. Blood covered his clothing and his clothes were almost torn to shreds. The two of them concluded quietly to themselves that the next fullmoon would see a new werewolf in its ranks. When they walked farther into the room Draco noticed that Ginny was starting to get agitated.

"What's wrong Gin?" He asked.

"Where is he? There is so much blood…where is he?" Ginny couldn't help herself, panic was starting to set in as all that surrounded her started to sink in completely.

Suddenly a sound caught their attention and when both of them looked up the stairs they saw Sirius leaning against the banister, hunched over and covered in blood.

"Dear Merlin!" Ginny exclaimed and immediately she ran up the stairs, racing towards Sirius. When she reached him the look of surprise on the man's face went unnoticed as Ginny started to inspect his body. Her delicate hands reached up under his shirt, lifting it so that she could run her palms over his skin. When reason finally hit him he lifted his arms and let his hands grip her upper arms, halting her from her inspection.

"Ginny, I'm ok." He said softly to her. "It isn't my blood."

"Oh Sirius!" She sobbed and pulled him into a hug. Sirius chuckled softly and pulled back after a minute.

"I'm ok kid." He said with a smile while his finger lightly brushed down the length of her nose. "But thanks for caring about me. How about you and the others?" He asked.

"Severus, Ron and Harry are all upstairs with Hailey." She paused for a moment. "They took Hermione out of the building and Marcus set up wards on the door. The guys are working on them now."

Sirius growled and his fist hit the banister hard enough that it shivered violently. "Dammit! I need to get up there and help."

"I know Sirius, we are here to help you." Ginny said in a reassuring tone.

Draco had watched as Ginny ran up to Sirius and the moment her hands started to roam around the man's body he felt something that was utterly alien to him. He wondered if blisters would form on his skin at any moment, for his blood felt like molten lava coursing through his veins. His jaw clenched tightly and his hands balled up into fists.

This feeling, so unlike others that he had felt in the past. He had known love, sadness, anger and even envy, but this feeling was so different. Jealousy, who would have thought he, Draco Malfoy, would ever get jealous of another man? It was supposed to be him that men got jealous of, not the other way around. Yet there he was, standing like a complete idiot at the bottom of the stairs while he looked up to see the woman he cared for concerned about another.

He watched as Sirius grabbed Ginny and spoke quietly with her. They looked so intimate in that moment and then to top it off he watched as Sirius ran a finger down Ginny's nose. That beautiful nose that had a smattering of freckles upon it and a delicate slope that had made Draco want to do the very same thing and had held back. Ginny spoke once more and then suddenly the man violently smashed his fist down on the banister.

The moment he had seen the man's hand in motion, Draco himself set into motion. He was halfway up the stairs when he realized why Sirius had reacted the way he did. Ginny's reassuring tone not only helped Sirius, but Draco's nerves as well. He stood there on the landing of the steps and watched the two above him.

"If we go now Black you could help with those wards and perhaps get us out of here faster." Draco stated from his position. Sirius gave him an intense look before leaning forward to whisper something in Ginny's ear. Draco wanted to lunge again as he saw Sirius twirl his finger through the young witch's hair.

"He likes you." Sirius whispered to her and Ginny blushed and chuckled softly. She felt Sirius playing with her hair and knew immediately what he was up to. She spoke softly to him. "And I like him."

Sirius pulled away and looked at Ginny for a moment before he nodded his assent. Sirius knew if Draco liked Ginny then his previous jealousy of the relationship between Hermione and Draco could be quelled. The two had been an item once before Sirius was released from the veil, and ever since he had learned of it Sirius couldn't help but be intensely jealous. Of course he couldn't resist making Draco upset though and knew that at any moment the man would snap into a jealous rage.

"Let's go." Sirius said suddenly and walked swiftly down the stairs and as he passed Draco he spoke. "We will need to carry him upstairs with us." He motioned towards Colin with his hand. Draco nodded with his mouth tightly clenched and the two men lifted the unconscious one up off the floor, placing his arms around their shoulders. Colin's feet dragged on the floor as they walked out of the room with Ginny trailing behind them.

* * *

Hermione had to admit, Marcus was indeed a fit man. He was still carrying her, refusing to let her down onto the ground to walk on her own. Kept telling her that she would slow them down with all her bitching about how sore her feet would be. She figured he was just getting his jollies carrying her seeing as he could just transfigure a pair of shoes for her.

Her eyes went to Hailey who looked scared and tired as she tried to keep up with Malcolm's pace. The poor young witch had been through hell and it seemed that just when hope had arrived, it had been dashed from them both. She prayed it wouldn't take long for the wards to come down and that they would be rescued. The collar around her neck had crippled her, but she had learned a few things in her past about surviving without magic.

Shortly after her parents had been killed she had managed to escape the clutches of the deatheaters. Forced to go into hiding she had been unable to use her magic for fear of anyone tracking her. The ministry used to be a den for deatheater spies and her being underage would have triggered all sorts of alarms. It was during this time she had experienced an adventure all on her own, and had come out better for it. Always wanting to learn new things had pushed her to learn hand to hand combat. Her teacher had been skilled in several different arts, along with the ever important art of fighting dirty. So it was without a doubt that Hermione could have gotten herself out of the situation she was in, but she was not alone. Hailey was a factor that Hermione would not gamble with, and so there she was, being carried by a man that made her want to spew.

The bushes swished as they moved past them, twigs snapped as they were trod upon and the night was silent except for the heavy panting of the group as they moved swiftly. Where was this car that Marcus had mentioned? Hermione thought to herself. Would they reach it before anyone else could reach them? She hoped not.

It was dark in the woods, but the moon lit up the area surrounding them enough to see where they were going. Suddenly the silence was broken as a howl drifted through the night.

"Was that the monster?" Malcolm asked with fear tainting his voice.

"Unless there are wolves around here, then I seriously doubt it would be anything but you nimrod." Marcus growled.

"What the fuck was that thing Flint?" Malcolm asked as he yanked Hailey causing her to cry out softly.

"Werewolf." Marcus stated and the silence that followed was enough to keep Malcolm from asking anymore questions.

Bushes moved off in the distance and Marcus stopped dead to listen. Malcolm walked forward a few steps before realizing Marcus had stopped and turned to complain but his voice never got a chance when a dark figure leapt and sent him sprawling to the ground with a cry. His screams filled the night as did Hailey's when she saw the werewolf close to her.

"Run Hailey!" Hermione yelled out as she struggled in Marcus's arms, throwing him off balance somewhat before she raised her hands and boxed him soundly on his ears. He cried out loudly and lifted his hands to his ears, dropping Hermione onto the ground with a resounding thud. She tried to roll away but was pinned down to the ground by a paw that thumped down onto her back.

Remus growled at Marcus, threatening the man but not moving from his position now that he had the female pinned. This time he would not be thwarted, no matter what happened around him he would claim his mate.

* * *

moonyNZ – heh the hell dog thing was a last minute addition to the chapter and I'm glad you liked it. As for Hailey..I tried to make it as clear as possible, but I knew people would probably get confused by it. As for who it is, no it hasn't been mentioned but I have a feeling people are along the right track with their thoughts.

JTBJAB – heh heh poor Remus getting cheered on for slaughtering people. Bad people albeit, but you know he is going to feel like crap in the morning. Imagine the morning breath one would have after an all night killing spree. ;)

towelgirl – I suspect I will have lots of fun tormenting poor Remus about the werewolf mate thing when the time comes. (cue evil laughter here) lol I'm thrilled that you have been enjoying the story so far and I hope that I can keep it just as exciting for you!

dancing in rain – I think your internet gave my internet something! Just like you got ill and then I got ill. Heh funny how these things happened to both of us so close together. Lol. As usual, thank you hun for everything!

lee74 – I have a feeling our little imposter is going to have a fun time sabatoging things in the future. Just how far will she go though to get what she wants? Hehehe Thanks so much for your review!

Raspberri13 – How happy am I to hear that I can uplift a day such as that! Thank you so much for the review. I love them all whether they are long or short, and I always take suggestions and ideas so don't ever hesitate to leave any.

Elbereth Gilthoniel – Please be alive still! I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I feel horrible about it, and I pray that the next chapter will not take as long to get out this time. Thanks bunches for your review!

readingfreak997 – hehehehe, here is another cliffie for ya! Lol thanks for the review!

Mai Gamit – Thank you so much for the review! I love reading them!

Dark Me – What part of Canada you going to be visiting? I'm positive you will enjoy it no matter where you go, I love this country and there is so much to see and do here. Thanks so much for the review!

magicrules – Thank you very much. I hope this wasn't too long for you for an update. I try to do them often, but this has been my longest time off to date.

Tabitha Berkley – Wow, I'm honoured that you like my writing style so much. I'm not a pro by any means, but I enjoy taking my thoughts and putting them down in a way that others can picture what is in my head. It saves my brain from being such a cluttered entity that is filled with all sorts of twisted things evil things that I can foist onto unsuspecting characters. Mwahahahahaha

Mara342 – Yes the polyjuice potion is rather disturbing really if you think about it. So many twisted opportunities for those that wish to do evil. Who would know if you were really with your real friend or lover? Evilness abounds with that potion. Hehehe Of course I'm not evil by any means. (smiles innocently) Thanks so much for your review! I always love new readers!

bookxluver – Thank you so much for your review!

Remus Gurl – I always love hearing from you hun! Thank you so much for your review and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last!


	35. Chapter 35

Ok exciting news everyone! I have been waiting for this moment for some time now and I had to tell you all before I start the chapter.

A prequel is being written for this story by dancing in rain, and she has put up her first post! The prequel is called History Unveiled. This story is closely tied in with mine as a lot of the ideas and extra characters have been collaborated on, but the story is entirely hers. I have put in a lot of things in this story that will suddenly make total sense when you read the prequel, and dancing in rain is brilliant when it comes to characters and their relationships with each other!

I think you will all enjoy reading it as much as I have so far and I hope you give it a read because it is the true start to the Sirius and Hermione relationship that I have written.

You can find this story at…. www . fanfiction . net / s / 2340758 / 1 /

Remember to take out all spaces in the web address as this is so the link can be seen.

Now on with the chappie!

* * *

Sirius wasn't surprised to see bodies on the first floor as well as they exited the stairwell and Draco and he avoided them as they walked closer to little Hailey. The young witch was watching the three wizards as they worked on the wards that had been placed on the door, but turned to give them a shy smile when she noticed them approaching.

"I think they are getting close." The young witch said aloud.

Sirius and Draco placed Colin gently on the ground. Sirius was near his breaking point so it was with determination that he approached the door and worked wandless on the door as well. He could sense that the wards were almost gone just before Harry looked over to him. "The Aurors must be here working on the other side because a few of the wards dropped at once suddenly."

Sirius nodded mutely and wondered what the Aurors would do when they saw the mutilated bodies within. This would be hard for them to cover up and he hoped that Arthur was smart enough to send in those that could be discrete about things. What was he thinking, of course the new minister would because he was the complete opposite of Fudge. The biggest worry for now was Hermione, but he knew that tomorrow's worry would be Remus and his discovery of what happened this night.

Ginny and Draco stood behind Hailey, watching helplessly as the wizards worked on the wards of the door. Ginny could sense the moment that Draco's eyes drifted from the men and over to view her profile. She tried to keep her eyes straight ahead, but eventually gave in and turned to look at him. When she saw the expression on his face she couldn't help but suck in her breath suddenly.

What was running through his mind at that moment she wondered to herself. His expression was hard, controlled, as if reining himself in from something. Before she could realize what was happening, he had dragged her away from Hailey and back into the stairwell.

"What are you doing Draco?" She exclaimed while trying not to trip over an extended arm of a dead guard.

He spun around suddenly, causing her to bang into his chest and then she felt herself being turned and propelled backwards until her back thumped against the wall.

"Wha.." She had started to say, but was interrupted by the lips that suddenly claimed hers and the tongue that teased her gently. To say she was shocked was quite the understatement, she was..she didn't quite know what she was at that moment. Stunned, floored, shocked, all those terms fit readily. Before she really realized the full impact of what was happening Draco had pulled away and muttered quietly turning away from her.

What was he doing? Her brow furrowed and once again her mind tried to catch up while wading through all the thoughts and emotions muddling it. He started to walk away but she stopped him as she grabbed his shirt, yanking it slightly so that he was forced to look at her. She stood there and gauged his face, reading the emotions that he usually never showed. Silence reigned for the next few moments before Ginny decided to break it.

"You know Malfoy, all you ever needed to do was ask." A sly smirk started to form on her face as she saw first the look of shock, then realization set in and his trademark smirk appeared.

"You know Weasley that Malfoys never ask, they take." He purred.

Ginny chuckled softly as she pulled him towards her and she did not stop until his face was mere inches from hers. She leaned forwards, letting her lips hover close to his and knew that he would feel them against his as she spoke. "It is a good thing us Weasleys are polite then because then I wouldn't be asking you to kiss me again."

She watched as she saw his pupils dilate suddenly and in the next second his mouth was on hers. What a heady emotion lust was, she thought to herself but then she knew this was more than just lust.

* * *

Sirius's nerves were on edge and he wasn't sure just how long he could control himself any longer. The door was a barrier between him and Hermione and he needed to be out there trying to find her as she had once found him in the past. The last thing he would do now is let her be taken from him when they had just realized how they felt about each other.

When the wards on the door were finally broken, they opened to a forest filled with Aurors. Fred and George ran through to them, asking immediately if everyone was alright before suddenly stopping to drop their jaws. The scene behind the group was gruesome, and for those who hadn't been there it looked somewhat unbelievable and yet this was the floor that suffered the least damage from Remus.

"What happened?" Fred asked his brother.

"SIRIUS!" Harry suddenly called out as he saw his Godfather run through the group of wizards outside the building and into the trees.

Sirius turned for a moment to point at his Godson. "Don't you even think about telling me to stay Harry. I'm not your lapdog!" He turned once again and ran into the trees.

Severus couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at the play on words made. When he turned to look at Harry, the boy was giving him an awkward look and so he put on his best scowl and grumbled at him.

"George and Fred, send some of your men down to the third level to obliviate the guards caught in the cells. This man needs to be taken to St. Mungo's immediately, he has been bitten by Remus and he needs further medical attention. We also need to search this building from top to bottom as well for anything connected to these…" Harry turned to call Draco and Ginny forward but noticed the two were nowhere to be seen.

"Draco? Ginny?" Harry called out, looking down the hallway and wondering where the two had gotten to. Suddenly Draco and Ginny fumbled into the hallway from the stairwell and Harry couldn't help but smirk.

"What?" Draco muttered, trying to look nonchalant.

"Why you!" Ron cried out suddenly and started to run forward. "I'll kill you, you damn ferret!"

Ron stopped abrubtly though when Ginny stepped forward and cracked her brother across the cheek with the palm of her hand. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, don't you dare lay a hand on him."

Draco smirked and leaned up against the door jamb, his chest somewhat puffed out as he realized Ginny was defending him.

"You mean you wanted him to snog you senseless?" Ron asked with confusion clearly on his face.

"That is exactly what I mean Ron and you know what? I even asked him to snog me senseless, so lay a finger on him and I swear you will regret it. You think mom was scary when she was angry, you do not want to see me lose it." Ginny said angrily as she poked her brother hard in the chest.

"Fine!" He exclaimed as he threw up his hands in the air. "Bloody sister has gone barmy I tell you." He muttered as he turned to Harry who in turn laughed before turning serious once more.

"Ok, as I was saying we need to find out as much about these as possible." Harry explained as he pointed to Draco and Ginny's collar. "We will need to search files and even any of the muggle computers, if there are any still working. This all needs to be done as swiftly as possible, because who knows when the next shift of guards will be in and the last thing we need is more trouble. Got it?"

Everyone nodded in understanding and splitting up into groups they all set off to do their individual tasks.

"What about Hermione Harry?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to find her and Sirius. I want you in charge here Ron." Harry stated in a commanding tone.

"Ok, be careful. Remus is still out there remember." Ron said.

"Tell your brothers that we will need to find and contain him as soon as we can after the building is secured." Harry added.

Ron nodded and the two men shook hands. "See you later mate." Ron said before turning. Harry exited the building meanwhile and started off in the direction that he saw Sirius run off.

* * *

Sirius ran until he was out of view of the Aurors. When he knew it was safe he shifted into his animagus form and lifted his nose into the air, sniffing to locate where Hermione's scent was strongest. When he caught wind of it the sound that broke through the night air sent chills down his body. Remus's howl was longing for something. In his canine form Sirius seemed to pick up the tone of the call, but he couldn't let Remus distract him from what was important right now.

Hermione was in danger and he needed to help her. His legs ran swiftly and it was with the agility of a dog that he avoided tree stumps and twigs. Her scent was getting closer with each step, so close, close enough that her scent was now a taste in his mouth. Oh how he wanted to taste her again, and he would as soon as he found her.

The closer he got to Hermione, the more his hackles rose on his back alerting him to danger. Finally when he got close enough to hear them talking he slowed so as not to alert them. All he could rely on at the moment was his sense of smell and hearing but when he suddenly caught a new scent as the wind direction suddenly changed. Remus! His mind screamed at him and now he didn't care about stealth, instead he barreled through the bushes racing towards them so that he could save Hermione.

Just up ahead. He could smell them, he could hear them and he wanted to tear Marcus and Malcolm to shreds. His anger was taking a hold of him, but when he entered the little clearing that they had seemed to stop in he froze. Hermione was on the ground on her stomach with Remus standing over her. His paw was holding her down upon her back and Marcus was backing away slowly as Remus was snarling at him with bared teeth.

Sirius scanned the clearing to find Malcolm on the ground, blood seeping from his body. Good, one less shithead that I have to worry about. He thought to himself. It seemed like everything was in slow motion for him, yet it all had taken place in mere seconds. Remus wasn't feeling as threatened by Marcus anymore it seemed and his nose was lowering to Hermione. Sirius wasn't sure what the werewolf was up to, but he had to take care of his friend before he did anything to his lover.

His body coiled up and he lunged towards the werewolf, toppling Remus over from the surprise attack. Sirius could hear Hermione's cry as she realized who it was attacking the werewolf, but he couldn't let her distract him for now. Remus needed to be neutralized and he was going to have to do it himself.

* * *

Hermione felt the weight suddenly lift off her back and when she turned to see what was happening she saw Sirius attacking Remus.

"Snuffles!" She cried out, but he wasn't being distracted by her. She knew that he was trying to save her, and she had no idea what Remus was going to do to her exactly but she was thankful for the interruption.

Hailey! She thought to herself suddenly. The young witch had run off into the woods under her command and she needed to find her. Turning around she noticed that Marcus had made himself scarce. Coward, she thought to herself before running into the surrounding bush.

"Hailey." She called in a voice just barely above a whisper. The last thing she wanted to do was attract attention to herself. Her eyes scanned the area surrounding her until she noticed a cluster of bushes just off in the distance. Something had drawn her eyes there and she waited for a moment until she saw what it was. An arm waving at her, Hailey's arm to be exact.

She ran towards the bush and when she got close she saw Hailey standing and looking at her with large scared looking eyes.

"It's ok Hailey. We are going to be ok. I know you are scared, but we need to go now." She said as she walked towards the young witch.

"I agree Poppet, we do need to go now."

* * *

moonyNZ – heheh well Remus didn't bite Hermione! But he sure wanted to. ;) lol The house elf thing made me laugh. Thanks bunches for reviewing and I hope you liked this chappie as much as the last.

Remusgrl01 – Remus didn't claim Hermione, but don't think it will be the last you hear of this situation in the story. :evil cackle: Thanks so much for the review hun!

JTBJAB - :) I just had this clear picture of Sirius taking advantage of the situation, but I think Draco might get his revenge at some point. Lol

dancing in rain – Thanks so much hun. I think you know just how much I appreciate everything that you do to help me with my story! I'm doing the happy happy joy joy dance though now because of the PREQUEL! YAYAYAYAYA

Raspberri13 – To answer your question first, there was no indication of his actually leaving the building. This was a line in chapter 33 though….snips….**Hermione noted the amount of dead bodies and the door that stood wide open revealing potential freedom and the end of their nightmare, but somehow Hermione knew that it was just getting worse instead of better**…..end of snipping. As Remus was on the first level at this point and a door wide open to the forest, I figured people would get the idea that he ran off away from all the stinky humans. :) Thanks so much for the review, and I'm sorry if I confused you at all.

CharmedLeoLvr – hehe and here is another cliffy for you. Lol I know I know…people are going to have hate parties for me. I think dancing in rain is accepting new members into the 'Get BrennaM for her Evil Cliffies' fan club. Thanks again for all your reviews!

Elbereth Gilthoniel – All in good time! And be sure that the answers will probably suddenly be revealed near the end. Or perhaps not. Lol basically I have no idea when it will all be revealed, because these characters are taking me places I never thought I would go. Thanks for the review hun!

Remus Gurl – I'm glad you liked that quote of Devon's. I was driving in my car when that suddenly hit me. I had to try not to speed so that I could get home to write it down. Lol Anyways I'm feeling much better thank you! Thank you again for your review!

Dark Me – Very cool! I live just an hour north of Toronto. You will have a blast there. Lots to do and see. I hope this update was quick enough for you! Of course anything is better than the 2 weeks I between my last updates. Hehe. Thanks bunches for your review hun.

Lee Swain – Oooo new reviewer! Yay! Welcome to the story! Thank you so much for the review, and I'm thrilled you are enjoying the story so far.


	36. Chapter 36

Well I'm really sorry to everyone that isn't a member in fanfiction and have been wanting to review this story. I just realized recently that I had my account set up not to receive anonymous reviews and I have now just changed this. So if you have been wanting to say something for awhile, please feel free to now! I'm really sorry that I didn't realize that it was stopping you guys earlier.

I'll post my thank yous on my next chappie as it is nearly 3am now and I thought you might all rather read the chapter as soon as possible than to see me thanking everyone. So instead I will do a general thanks to everyone for their kind words. I only hope that you will continue to enjoy my story!

* * *

"It's ok Hailey. We are going to be ok. I know you are scared, but we need to go now." She said as she walked towards the young witch.

"I agree Poppet, we do need to go now."

Hermione cursed loudly as she saw Marcus step out from behind a large bush with his wand pointed at Hailey.

"I'm sorry Hermione…" the young witch looked up at her with tears flooding her eyes.

"Don't you be sorry for this dickhead Hailey." Hermione ground out. Her eyes shot daggers at him when she turned to look at him. "Why can't you just die like the rest of your friends Marcus? That would really be doing us all a favour."

Marcus laughed. "I'm sorry once again to disappoint you love. I was able to survive the Great war so tonight is kind of like a picnic for me. I must say I'm rather thankful for the most excellent timing of your dog. He took care of that nasty little werewolf problem swiftly enough and left me free to get what I came for. You, now lets go the car is just over this hill."

He motioned over his shoulder and with his wand pointed at Hailey and Hermione he led them away from Sirius and Remus towards the car that would separate them completely.

* * *

Sirius leapt and attacked Remus, using his body to send the werewolf off balance before turning and attacking to subdue him. When Harry burst in on the scene he was immediately taken back to his third year when the very same scene played before him. This time though he was better equipped with spells and quick wits.

Carefully he watched as the two furry creatures fought until he was able to pick the right moment. In his years growing up he learned a few spells that he thought could potentially be useful against werewolves. They were difficult spells as lycans were often immune to some of the common offensive spells, just as they were immune to regular bullets and blades. One particular spell that he had managed to learn was one that imitated the properties of silver just enough to bind a werewolf instead of poison and kill him. It took energy and prep to be able to cast though, so while Harry focused inwards he tried desperately not to be distracted by the battle going on in front of him.

After a few minutes of snarls and fur Harry was finally ready. He poised himself, bracing himself before he suddenly yelled out at Sirius and Remus. "Oy you bunch of dogs! Look over here!" He threw a few rocks at the canines to make a point.

Both muzzles turned towards him and confusion was clearly written on Sirius's face while anger was on Remus's. Finally the moment arrived as Harry watched the muscles in Remus's body coil and start to lunge towards him. Harry cast the spell, aiming the wand directly at Remus and then quickly rolled himself out of the way.

Remus fell to the ground and struggled against invisible bonds as they tightened around his ankles and wrists. They were drawing together as if magnetized until finally when the spell had completed itself Remus lay on his side invisibly trussed. Ankles touched wrists and wouldn't pry apart, in fact it tightened the more he struggled until he finally stopped and lay panting loudly.

Upon seeing Remus incapacitated Sirius shifted back to his human form. "Hermione!" Harry's Godfather yelled out with a touch of hysteria in his voice. He ran around the area trying to find her when the sound of a car filled the air. "Fuck!" Sirius and Harry both cried out at once and the two ran off in the general direction. By the time they made it to the road, all that could be seen was the cloud of dust left by the car that had just left moments ago.

"Nooo!" Sirius yelled out in anguish. "We can't have lost her! I can't have lost her! Not now!" He felt like he was going to be sick and heaved himself over while clutching his belly. Harry watched his Godfather with a pained and angry expression.

"He will not get away with this." Harry growled and reached into his robe to pull out a cell phone. Sirius noticed the motion from the corner of his eyes and lifted his head to watch Harry.

Sirius went to speak but Harry cut him off by raising his hand when a voice on the other line answered.

* * *

Bodies, sweat, drinks and music; the club was packed this evening and Kevin was working. His dark blue eyes surveyed the crowd with a keen eye, watching those that he knew would involve his job. Couples were grinding their hips together, as close as they could be without actually having sex in public. These were his prime targets. The women were eager to dance closely to an attractive man, and Kevin knew that he fit that description.

He was by no means a muscle bound jock in stature, but his body was lean and ropey and resembled a surfer. His height was not grand, in fact he was only 5'10" but his stature was perfect for his profession. Tonight he was dressed in comfortable fitting black jeans with a black beater that showed off his physique, a chain hung from his belt and slung from the front loop to the back loop in a big arch that rested on his thigh.

Once again he scanned the crowd and his eyes rested upon Anabel. Kevin dared anyone to find someone as beautiful and exotic as Bel. Her coffee coloured skin was flawless and one could get completely lost in eyes so dark they could almost be called black. She was exquisite and the two had once attempted a sexual relationship, but found that they were more like kin than lovers. So it was that he and Bel adopted each other, becoming each other's siblings and protectors. They both had so much in common and had at one point been the only thing that they could count on in their lives.

Anabel's willowy figure moved with an alluring grace and sensuality on the dance floor and the men around her craved her attentions. Her shoulder length pink hair had strands of blond and black in it and the ends were coarse and uneven from using a razor blade to cut it on her own. Just one of the many skills she seemed to have that, being able to give herself a hairstyle that others would kill for. Kevin couldn't help but smile at his inner thought. He caught the glinting flash of the chain that hung down from her ear to hang just below her collarbone. They were hidden by her hair at that moment, but the chain was weaved through the four earrings pierced on her left ear.

He continued to admire his sister from afar. Tonight she was wearing a shiny black shirt that was entirely backless except for the silver chains that held it in place around her neck, chest and waist. She loved to wear the top because she could show off her tattoos that she loved so dearly. On her shoulder blades were a pair of black spidery looking wings and then on her hip she had a dark fairy with similar looking wings. Because of the black hip huggers that she wore this evening, there was an ample amount of her belly showing and so could be seen around her waist she had a silver chain that was attached to a dangling chain that hung from her navel piercing.

Anabel's skin glistened from the sweat forming on her body as she danced. She enjoyed her work, there was no question about that. Anabel was a creature made for sex and the enjoyment of it in many different ways be it with a man or a woman. This made her one of the most valuable and powerful of the brethren. Kevin couldn't help but smirk and feel pride. Their fingers extended farther than they could ever have dreamed possible and he felt a low chuckle bubble up out of him as he watched the skilled fingers of his sister doing their job.

By the time the poor fool realized that his wallet was missing, Anabel would be long gone, and never once would she be considered suspect. She was gifted, no doubt about that just as he was gifted. The two of them started off like rats as teenagers, but their bond strengthened each of them and soon their family grew and even continues to grow. Not only were they the head of the thieves in England, but their power reached out to France, Germany and Spain.

Each country had its own leader that Anabel and himself appointed, but ultimately they were the ones with the ultimate control and say over their family. They were the proud parents that taught their young to live in the cold cruel world of humanity. They were also the ones to reign in the control. Killing was not allowed unless your life was in danger. On this rule Kevin was strict for danger didn't mean exposure or threats, it meant mortal danger. Any attraction from the police was unwanted and death was sure to have their presence swarming the city and possibly exposing the entrances to their home.

Where was there home? Home was located beneath the city in the many tunnels and rooms to be found deep beneath it. Kevin had stumbled upon one of the entrances when he was younger and took refuge in an underground city thought to be long gone. It was amazing how humans could start over by rebuilding over top of the old. There was the odd location that had been discovered by the general public, such as the underground city in Edinborough. This section had been shut off by their family and was now being used by the general public for the ever popular ghost tours. Kevin snickered at the very idea of it and they had all had a good laugh when they started moaning loudly and banging on the pipes when tours were walking through. The family grew tired of their play though and yet still tourists manage to hear the moans, cries and bangs from the ghosts long passed. It was amazing what the human psyche could do when ones mind was susceptible to things.

Scanning the dance floor again, Kevin took note of several other family members working the club. They canvassed clubs in a single night and hit them all randomly when they did. Each member had a limit to what they could take and if he learned that they went over the limit they would be punished and possibly banished. He could not stress enough to his brothers and sisters that if one gets too greedy they expose themselves and they will get caught. They lived by a law, their own set of laws mind you, but there was a moral code amongst the thieves and to break that code was a cardinal sin.

Kevin's thoughts were interrupted suddenly when he felt his blackberry vibrate against his hip. His hand reached around and grabbed it so that he could look down at its display and a frown formed on his face. This was a call he had to take and so he threaded himself through the throngs of sweaty people and made his way to the back door of the establishment. The door was unlocked so he had no worries of getting back in, so he went out into the back alley and dialed a number before putting the blackberry to his ear. Just as the phone started to ring on the other line the door opened again and Anabel slipped out with a concerned look on her pretty face.

* * *

Anabel loved her job and life. Never was someone more suited to what she did than she was. Who else could spend their nights dancing with men each night and make their living at it? Every night was a different experience and Anabel loved to soak up every minute of it. Tonight she had felt her brother's gaze on her as she worked the room. He loved to watch her work, and she loved to perform for him. If they had actually been brother and sister by blood their relationship would have appeared almost incestuous. She called him brother, yet admired his beauty with a sexual thrill. His dark blue eyes glittered seductively as they would scan the room and she knew that all the women could feel his gaze like warm chocolate being drizzled upon your skin. Bel loved the little hoop that rested on the edge of his left eyebrow. She found it extremely sexy. The only other piercing that he had was a simple diamond stud in his right ear.

Kevin often dressed in black. It gave him a dark, brooding, sexual air about him and tonight was no exception. The beater clung tightly to his upper body and showed off his muscles perfectly, as well as the tattoo located on his left shoulderblade. The fox head suited Kevin perfectly, as he was sly, crafty and most of all sneaky. The other tattoo his body adorned could not be seen at the moment, but she knew it was there. The ringed tail of a raccoon twined around his ankle marking him as the thief that he is. He was proud of who he was and what he had built with the help of herself.

Her dark eyes kept track of her brother throughout the night, so when she saw him look down at his blackberry with a frown she knew something was up. She followed closely behind him as he threaded through the crowd and when she exited the building it was to see him standing against the wall with the blackberry to his ear. She was about to ask what was going on when his voice interrupted her.

"Hello old friend. To what do I owe this honour?" Kevin asked over the phone. Anabel watched as her brother listened. She tried to read the facial expressions that changed repeatedly on his face until she was able to recognize the main ones. Worry, lust and anger. Anabel mouthed the word 'who' to Kevin.

"Anabel and I will be there as soon as we can." He paused listening and then continued again. "Yes, you know we will do everything we can. It should take us about two hours." Another pause, "I will get in touch with you when we find her." Kevin listened once again. "Of course we will find her. Goodbye."

"What is going on Kev?" She inquired.

"That was Harry." He simply said.

"Oh dear God, what has Sam gotten herself into now?" Anabel said with worry in her voice.

Kevin shook his head. "You and that nickname."

Anabel frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well she calls me Tink for crying out loud." She said with a pout.

"And you love it." Kevin purred.

"Just as much as she loves Sam." Anabel responded with a grin until worry set in again. "Fill me in."

"Hermione has gotten herself kidnapped it seems." Kevin said in a serious tone.

"Shit. What the hell are we standing here for then?" Anabel stated.

"Inform Patrick that we are going to Paris. I want him in charge while we are gone." Kevin ordered.

Anabel nodded and entered the club, leaving Kevin alone with his thoughts.

'Hermione.' His mind rolled over the name and warm thoughts and memories invaded his senses. She was probably one of the most unique and open lovers that he had ever had, and to see her again would surely be a treat. He just hoped that they could get her to safety in time. If there was one thing that Hermione had a penchant for it was luring all types of trouble to her doorstep.

He shook his head to stop his wool gathering. There would be plenty of time to recollect their relationship together on the plane to Paris, but for now he needed to contact Renee in Paris and get the family on the look out.


	37. Chapter 37

A/N – Ah my pretties! I'm so sorry for the delay of this chapter. The basic story…my internet was basically down for the month of April. I had moments here and there where I was online, but my connection was so horrendous that I pretty much wanted to pick up my computer and chuck it out the window. Of course I'm on Sattelite high speed because I live out in Hicksville Ontario…not really but it just seems that I'm in this little town that is completely surrounded by high speed but cannot seem to get it at all.

Anyways, first they tell me "Just turn all the power off and then on again on your modem and see how it is for a few days." Few days later I call and complain again. "Oh well we aren't getting any complaints in your area..lets check your modem." Go through menu after menu. "Well because there have been no other complaints, lets just wait a few days and see if things are better shall we?"

So a few days later I complain again. "Ok have you shut off your modem and turned it on again?" Yes.."Ok lets go through your modem settings then shall we? Ok we will change this…now lets just see how this goes for a few more days because there have been no other complaints in your area."

Finally I get Will on the phone…a level 3 technician. He can see something is wrong so he gets the IT guys on it. Completely down now for a full weekend…oh by the way I have a home business that is completely crippled by all this. Well that doesn't work..so they want to send me a new modem..oh but get this..I have to pay the shipping. Apparently when I hook up the modem we find out that my modem is just fine…and that it is the actual transmit receiver on my satellite dish. We will send you a new one and you send back the modem…oh by the way..you have to pay shipping as well as paying $200 to have the guy install the new receiver.

Grrrrrrrrrrr

Anyways…new transmit receiver installed..my internet is finally back up and running….but it took me a few days to get back into a creative mode and not a stressed out about to cry mode.

So here it is…not as good as I had hoped it would be, but I have to get back into the groove of things. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

The young girl waited patiently outside the facility while the rest of the crowd searched the building for any more loose ends. She shuffled from side to side and played with the ends of her hair, but never uttered a peep which was just fine with Theron. How he ended up babysitting the chit he wasn't quite sure, but he would much rather be inside the building and seeing just what these muggles were up to. It terrified him knowing that these people had captured some of their own and managed to cage them. The silver collars on Draco Malfoy and Ginerva Weasley had frightened him even further. It did not take a genius to realize that those were probably what was preventing the witch and wizard's magic abilities.

He paced the impatiently, almost to the point of creating a furrowed path. When would they be done? He was tired of waiting around. His gaze drifted down to the fallen muggle just outside the building. To pass the time Theron tried to envision just what had happened to the poor sod. A werewolf was chasing him and he had tried to shoot it with his muggle weapon first, but realized that the creature would not fall from the simple bullets. He took off at a run, screaming most likely, but his speed was nothing compared to the cursed dog and so those large heavy paws hit the man in the back solidly and took him down to his stomach. The gun skittered away from him to where it rests about a foot away from the little girl that looks frightened. The body is bloody and mangled, but at least the man would not wake up the next morning to learn that he would live with a curse for the rest of his life.

The one muggle was not so lucky this evening. Theron had watched as the man had been carried past him and commands given for the man's immediate medical attention. That poor fellow, should he survive, would wake up to a new nightmare. A shiver ran down through Theron's body and he was glad that he was not in that situation. The werewolf had run off and Harry Potter and Sirius Black had run after it. Knowing the past heroics of the man who lived to kill Voldemort there was no doubt in Theron's mind that the werewolf would be subdued.

Theron's eyes drifted to the girl once again as he saw her moving. Her eyes were scanning the woods, as if searching for something. "Something wrong?" Theron asked.

The girl turned to look at him and shook her head. "No, but thank you for asking." The young girl continued to shift from side to side and he realized that she may appear calm, but she was nervous and she had every reason to be.

"Everything will be ok. Harry Potter will take care of the werewolf. You are safe with us now and soon we will get that wretched collar off of your neck." Theron said with a growl.

The young chit gave him a soft smile and nodded. "Thanks."

Theron looked back into the building to watch the bustle of activity within.

* * *

How long would they take? She rolled her eyes and shifted back and forth on her feet. Here she was, stuck outside waiting for the bloody Aurors to finish their jobs and they were taking their sweet time about it. Stuck. That is what she was. Stuck with an idiot Auror who just wanted to get himself killed in action. She could see it in his face. He didn't want to be a babysitter. No, he wanted to be in the action because he probably felt it would give him the appearance of having a bigger dick than he really has. Men. Always trying to prove themselves.

She huffed quietly but suddenly felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle. Her eyes shifted back and forth, scanning the forest in front of her first before spinning to look behind herself. He was here. Devon was here and currently watching them. She would gaze because it had rested upon her naked flesh many times before. Her eyes scanned slowly, trying to look for the telltale signs of muggles but before she could spot anyone the Auror had interrupted her.

"Something wrong?" Theron asked.

"No, but thank you for asking." She replied.

"Everything will be ok. Harry Potter will take care of the werewolf. You are safe with us now and soon we will get that wretched collar off of your neck." He said back to her.

"Thanks." She gave him a sweet smile, but inside her thoughts were filled with disgust. Just like she thought, the man was a fool that believed it was just Harry Potter by himself that defeated Voldemort. Stupid insipid man. She wanted to spit on him right there, but decided not to, instead she realized that she needed to give Devon something.

She looked around and then smiled evilly while letting her head turn once more to scan the forest. The young girl bent over and picked up the muggle gun, shifting it in her hand to admire its weight before raising it up before her to point it at the Auror.

The man noticed her movement and turned to look at her and his eyes widened with surprise. "What the…" he started to say, but she interrupted him.

"Muggle weapons. I never have really gotten why muggles carry them around so much. A wand can be a dangerous weapon, but very rarely does one go off by accident. Whereas these muggle weapons have had children shooting their siblings or friends because they were left loaded and unattended. What do you think would happen with this one in the hands of an eleven year old?" She hummed softly and then her face brightened with a sudden thought. "Perhaps this?"

The loud crack of a gunshot rang through the forest and then the soft thump of a body landing on the ground. It did not take long for the man to bleed out for the femoral artery was effective for taking down a man quickly. So the young girl got to work knowing that soon people would be running out to see what happened. She dropped the gun where she was standing and then ran towards the forest a few steps before stopping and hunching over. She stuck two fingers into her throat and pushed them back far enough so that she started to gag. Instinctively she wanted to pull her fingers out as tears started to form in her eyes, but she continued pushing back until she felt her stomach heave with its contents.

* * *

Devon and Merlin had trudged quietly through the woods after abandoning their vehicle a ways back. Devon knew that the grounds would be swarming with wizards, and the last thing they needed was for them to get caught after all his brilliant planning. He needed to know. He had to know if his plant was killed or if she was securely in place. If she had gotten herself killed, then he would have to come up with a new strategy to cause anarchy in the wizarding would.

His desire for power was great, and to achieve what he ultimately wanted he needed to distract those in the ministry as well as those that were key to the defeat of their previous nemesis. They would always be on the look out for certain activities but if they were distracted by other issues, then certain things would get overlooked. This was what Devon wanted.

Sounds carried towards them. Growls and barks way off in the distance, but closer to them were the sounds of men and women. The base came into view and the two men hid themselves to watch what was going on. He could feel Merlin giving him a questioning look, but he knew that the young man would not question him aloud.

Looking down into the ravine Devon found he couldn't contain the smile wanting to form. There she was. She was alive and firmly in place, no one suspecting her but instead believed her to be a weak little child that was too young to see the dangers inside the building. Little did they know.

Merlin narrowed his eyes as he looked at his boss and then looked down at the young girl. Why was his boss so interested in the child? They were contemplating the chit's death just the other day, but now Devon looked thrilled to see the young girl. Perhaps his boss had a sexual penchant that he didn't know about?

He contemplated this for a moment before ducking back quickly as the young girl in question turned around to scan the trees. Her eyes were narrowed and she looked as if she was searching for something. Finally her eyes settled on the bush they were looking through. It was eerie the way she stared at the bush, but the man standing with her suddenly spoke to her and captured her attention.

Both men relaxed visibly but were intrigued to watch as the young girl picked up the gun at her feet. Their girl spoke for a minute before deftly shooting the man in his thigh and from the amount of blood that blossomed onto the man's pants it was a given that she had hit his femoral artery. Brilliant really because it would look the right height to be an accident, but deadly enough that the man would definitely not live to tell the tale.

Devon looked at his second in command and saw the awe on his face. He couldn't help but grin broadly. His girl was brilliant at what she did, there was no question about that. She was currently sticking her fingers down her throat and when someone came running out of the building to see the dead man they turned to look at a little girl who was shaking and crying while vomit dribbled down her chin.

"Who the hell is that?" he heard Merlin whisper.

"That is just a part of my plan my boy." Devon whispered back with a wink.

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The steady sounds of dripping was all that could be heard as a small figure moved deftly through the tunnel under the city. Mouse was glad to be home after a day of work. As much as she loved to ply her abilities on those unsuspecting fools above, she hated to be amoung the throngs of people. Home was where she felt the most safe, although at one point it was the place she feared the most.

Renee, her savior, the man that scared the shit out of her once upon a time. He was her home. She had fallen for the leader of their family, but Mouse was aptly named. Small, timid and quiet was she, making her skilled at spying and stealing. So it was that Renee often gave her the jobs that he felt most important. He was oblivious to her feelings towards him though, of that Mouse was sure. Why would he want to be with her anyways? She was 5'2" to his 6'1". She had short brown hair cut in a choppy pixie fashion and dark brown eyes. Plain. That was the best way that she would describe herself. Her body was rail thin and at first glance most would think her to be about 14 years old as apposed to her actual age of 21.

She had once been thinner, so thin her bones were showing. So close to death laying in an alley, but he found her there and carried her home. Underground. He introduced himself making his deep voice as soft as possible so as not to frighten the already terrified mouse. To anyone just meeting Renee, they would all have reason to be frightened. He had the body of an American football player, and it seemed the broadness of his shoulders were only accentuated by the long black duster that he always wore. Dark and imposing were two perfect definitions for the man.

His head was shaved and a large tribal tattoo swirled with pointed ends on the back of his head just above his neck, but his skin was so dark the ink almost seemed to blend in. But as much as this man looked frightful to her, she learned he was just the opposite with his family. She was his family now and so it was that she got to see his brilliant white teeth flash brightly against the dark lips of his, and each time her heart would melt a little more. Oh how she wished she could let him know how she felt about him, but Mouse was truly a mouse.

With a sigh she reached the entrance to their home and entered, heading straight for Renee's room. She heard his voice call for her to enter after she knocked softly and when she entered the room it was to see him on his phone.

"Tell me everything Kev." She watched him say into the receiver. His face was dark with anger and for the first time in a while Mouse felt fear of Renee. Whatever it was that he had just been told, it was enough to bring out the wrath of Renee.

"The family will be on high alert. Send the images to my email and I will circulate them. Its been awhile since she was with us and we have some new additions that won't know her." He listened for another minute and then gave a curt goodbye before disconnecting.

He looked distracted for a moment before looking at mouse and then flashing her a warm smile. "Mouse, you are safe. Good. I trust the job went well?"

Mouse gave him a timid nod.

"Good." He sat down at his laptop and typed for a few minutes before looking up at her again.

"We have trouble." He said suddenly, causing her to jump slightly.

"Trouble?" She replied softly.

"Its Hermione." He said.

"Is she alright?" Mouse replied. Once long ago she had been jealous of the pretty girl. Renee had a soft spot for the young woman long ago, but after speaking with Hermione about her family she couldn't help but love the young woman as one of her own. Hermione knew of her love for Renee and tried to get her to act on it, but Mouse just couldn't bring herself to do it. So it was then that Mouse realized that it didn't matter if Renee knew or not, she loved him unconditionally and if that meant loving him from afar she would do just that.

"Seems she has gotten herself into a spot of trouble, but with the Princess that is a normal thing I suppose." He chuckled softly. "Kevin sent me her picture and him and Bel are on their way, but for now the family is in charge. I need you to stay with me."

"What do you need me to do?" Mouse asked softly.

"Just stay with me." His black eyes bore into her as she looked at him.

"Of course." She replied softly and took a seat, sitting quietly while Renee waited for news.

* * *

Can I say OMG! 201 reviews! I'm so thrilled!

Thank you all so much for all the reviews! I love reading them and I really hope that I can continue to give you a story that you will all enjoy.


	38. Chapter 38

Hello my pretties!

I know I used to update rather frequently when I started this story and I want to let you all know that the gaps between the updates now has nothing to do with my waning attention to a story I absolutely have fallen in love with writing. No in fact my husband and I own our own business which I was not working in when I first started, but recently we have needed my abilities within the company once again.

So between work and kids, my mind can get a bit cluttered and I like to have a fully fleshed out chapter in there before I set my fingers upon a keyboard. Don't ask me why, but I seem to write best that way. Anyways, I will always try and have a chapter a week at least for you..but I'm sure there will be a time here and there where I can post one quicker.

So anyways…here it is..the next chappie.

* * *

She drove slowly down the dirt road. It was rough and bumpy and to drive any faster would mean their heads would be hitting the roof of the car. Marcus had yelled at her to drive faster at one point so she gunned the engine. The result was quite humourous for her in fact. The loud thump as his head hit the roof caused him to curse up a storm which ended with him yelling at her to 'slow the fuck down'. Being a wizard, he did not quite get the concept of seat belts, so while Hailey and herself were buckled in tightly he was flying about in his seat.

Hermione understood fairly quickly why Marcus was left back a grade in Hogwarts. It took a few knocks to get it into his head that the contraption that the girls were wearing was in fact preventing their noggins from being hit like a piñata by the roof of the car. She couldn't help but play with him when he tried to figure out how to fasten the belt properly, but finally she had to stop the car and show him how or suffer a bruised cheek from a blow of his fist.

Their drive was quiet for the most part, but Marcus couldn't help but throw in some smart ass comments here and there. Leave it to one of the less intelligent Slytherins to taunt someone when they are down to make them feel more powerful then they really are. So it was that Hermione's mind tried to work overtime in trying to figure out a way to escape for both her and Hailey.

It eventually became increasingly difficult for Hermione as they drove. Light was starting to break through the darkness as dawn approached and she had been deprived of sleep for close to twenty four hours now. The adrenaline in her system was starting to run low and the car was starting to swerve slightly as Hermione felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Flint cast a few Ennervate spells on her to keep her awake, but his frustration at having to do so was becoming quite evident.

"Dammit woman, you are trying to kill us all aren't you?" Flint growled at her.

"You maybe, but not Hailey and I." Hermione stated.

"Bitch." Flint responded.

Hermione couldn't help but smirk slightly with satisfaction. She listened to him grumbling to himself until he eventually settled on a decision.

"Fine then, we are going to stop and get a room." He stated.

Hermione's head turned and she glared at Marcus. "What? Looking forward to getting me in bed?" he asked when he noticed her looking at him.

"In your dreams Flint." She growled in response.

"Mmm yes, well you shall also be in my bed today it seems as well." He purred.

Hermione turned to look back at the road and gnashed her teeth together audibly. Hailey's eyes flickered back and forth between both the adults as she sat quietly in the back seat.

"Stop here." Flint pointed with his wand and Hermione pulled into the driveway in front of the hotel. A doorman walked up to the vehicle and opened the door for Hermione with a smile and a word of welcome. He walked her to the door of the hotel and proceeded to open it for her, letting first her walk through and then Marcus and Hailey. The young girl was being pulled slightly by the tight grip that held her arm, but she refrained from crying out in pain lest she cause her and Hermione more problems then they already had.

A pretty girl behind the counter lifted her head as they approached the front desk and greeted them both in French. "Bonjour et bienvenue au Trianon Gare De Lyon. Comment est-ce que je peux vous aider?" Hermione started to respond, but Flint being the prick he is interrupted her.

"Do we look fucking French lady? Speak English." He growled.

"I'm sorry sir. Good morning and Welcome to the Trianon Gare de Lyon. how may I help you?" The girl repeated in English. Hermione noted a slight tightening of the jaw line and really could not blame the girl for being irritated.

"Right. We need a room for the night. My wee poppet here is tuckered out and we need a nice warm bed to snuggle up in for a good long rest." Flint said as he wrapped an arm around Hermione, causing her to stiffen. She frowned as he pulled her against him and he tried to flash what she figured was to be his handsome smile at the young lady. Hailey watched her toes, not wanting to attract any attention so as to make Flint upset.

The girl behind the counter gave them an odd look for a moment before her false smile returned. "Of course monsieur, I will just need your credit card and I will have a room ready for you promptly."

Hermione raised a slender brow as she gave Flint an amused look, but the man took out a leather wallet and pulled out a plastic VISA card to hand to the girl. She was shocked for a moment until she noted the Gringotts logo in the top corner of the card.

When Arthur was appointed as the new Minister of Magic one of his first tasks after the downfall of Voldemort was to make the line between muggleborn wizards and witches and purebloods more blurred. For this he felt that to introduce certain muggle customs slowly into the wizarding world would help to make purebloods feel more adventurous to see what other differences lay outside their world, and for muggleborns to have more ease when entering the wizarding world for the first time.

So came about the Gringotts VISA card. It really was a handy item to have as any wizard and witch could save themselves from having two separate accounts in two separate worlds. When one used their VISA card for muggle items, the amount was automatically exchanged and paid for out of the vault associated with the card. They were far handier in fact then the muggle form of plastic payment, as the charms put on the cards automatically identified the owner of the card when held and allowed the payment to go through without difficulties. Should someone not authorized to use the card try to use it, the card would immediately read as stolen.

Flint used his muggle/wizard form of currency and a room key was delivered into his hands. He gave the girl behind the front desk another one of his leerish grins before turning to Hermione. "Well poppet, looks like our love nest awaits."

Hermione could not stop the shiver of disgust that rippled through her body. She realized though that his comment was nothing compared to the firm kiss he planted on her lips shortly after he spoke. Bile burned her throat as her stomach heaved slightly. Her hand itched to scrub at her lips to try and rub off the taste of him, but she knew if she did that then they would both be in more danger than they were already in.

"Come luv, I hear our bed calling our names. Our darling girl must be wiped from our long drive here and she needs her rest." He said as he placed an arm around Hailey's shoulder, pulling both woman and girl into his sides and leading them towards the elevator.

* * *

Simone watched the people walk towards the elevator and once they were inside the car she reached towards the blackberry that was hidden under the counter of the front desk.

Her eyes studied the screen for a moment. There was no question that the woman was the one the family was on alert for.

One would wonder why a girl like Simone who was a beautiful girl with a great paying steady job would be a member of the family, but in fact it made complete sense. Tourists were one of the largest ways for the family to make their money, as they usually had their heads tilted up to look at the top of the Eiffel tower instead of down to guard their wallets. It was up to the members of the family that had managed to get themselves employed within some of the larger hotels to spot the ones that carried the most on hand cash and then alert the family with a broadcast with a full description and picture of who to look for.

Simone was one of their best and the poor blighters that stayed at her hotel usually managed to lose their precious wallets while pondering the smile of the Mona Lisa, or gazing up at the majestic beauty of the Champs Elysees.

Simone pulled up a phone number and pressed send.

"Hello Mouse, it is Simone. She is here."

Mouse's voice responded through the phone. "One moment. Renee, it is Simone with a sighting."

There was a slight pause on the other line and then a masculine voice could be heard. "Simone, is she alright"

"Yes, but we may need to act quick..the man she is with does not look very pleasant and I doubt the child with them will stop him from doing something to hurt her." Simone stated.

"I'm on my way."

Renee hung up the phone and gave a grim look to Mouse. "Call the upper council. They are our best. Let them know I'm on my way and that Rielle is in charge until I get there. I will contact the others to set up a perimeter around the hotel. This man will not get away with Mione. To think, I get to save the princess from the tower." Renee allowed himself a little chuckle of amusement.

Mouse nodded while she flashed him a shy smile and picked up the phone to contact Rielle and the rest of the upper council.

* * *

dancing in rain – My muse. Thank you so much for being there for me to bounce ideas off of, and letting me be all Slytherin and evil and loving me for it. lol Love ya hun.

moonyNZ – Thank you so much for the review. I'm honoured that you get excited to see my updates. As for Narcissa…I suppose we will find out in time. ;)

Raspberri13 – lol I live in Loretto Ontario, which is just about 10 minutes south of Alliston. Great to see another Canuck round these parts! Thanks for the review.

Wobble – I forgot about those cells in Buffy, but yes I can see the relationship between them and mine. Actually the cells were very similar to those written by Kelley Armstrong. She writes The Women of the Otherworld Series that includes the following titles: Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic. If you haven't read them, I highly recommend it. The cells and one wee scene will seem very similar to something seen in Stolen. I'm glad you are enjoying the story!

Rane2920072 – Here is your update hun! Heh I'm glad you like the story!

Martini – MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (maniacal laughter for the pure evilness that is me.) First I would just like to say I'm a horror movie nut. The gorier the better for me. Heh I don't expect everyone to like my story, and I understand if people graze over certain content because it might turn their stomachs or make them feel uncomfortable. I see this as a complete compliment really, as I must have been able to describe a scene well enough to manage to turn a stomach or two. The rating is as high as it can get and clearly stated why though. I don't see the story continuing with the amount of violence and bloodshed there has been so far, but I can't promise you that I won't hold back on it if the time seems appropriate for it. From now on I will put a warning at the start of the chappie though to warn that there is graphic content in the chapter for those that wish to skip over it.

Remus Gurl – I'm sorry it took so long for my last chappie. This one managed to come out a bit faster at least. Thanks for the review as always hun and I'm glad you are still enjoying the story.

JTBJAB – Thanks! I really appreciate the review.

cjBlack – Wow..thanks for the compliment. I never really considered writing as a profession really. I enjoy playing with existing characters too much I think…I'm just not afraid to make up some of my own to mingle with them. Heh Thanks so much for the review!

NO such things as HAPPY songs – Thank you!

Synister Fate – Thank you very much. I'm thrilled you are enjoying the story and I hope you continue to in the future.


	39. Chapter 39

Harry hung up the phone and turned to Sirius fully prepared now to answer the questioning gaze of his Godfather.

"Old friends of Hermione's." He started and quickly cut Sirius off before he could ask his question aloud. " They were the ones that helped shortly after her parents were killed."

Harry held his hand up to silence Sirius once more. "All you need to know right now is that she will be in good hands Sirius. Right now though, we need to worry about Remus. If you didn't notice, it is almost dawn and we need to get him to Hogwarts before he turns. He has a few bullets in him that will surely kill him in human form."

Sirius watched as his Godson took control and finally decided to concede, allowing him to take the lead. "Ok, but don't think that because you have called in a favour to someone, that I'm going to stop looking for her." He growled.

"Do you really think that I could abandon her like that?" Harry inquired with an angry look on his face.

Sirius sighed. "I'm sorry Harry. I haven't even asked you if you are ok with her and I, and here I am getting all upset because you are using your head." Sirius let his voice trail off, worried about what Harry would say next.

"Sirius, if you are looking for permission to be with Hermione, then you already have it. If she wants to be with you, then she will be with you. Yes I am her best friend and yes I want her to be happy, but I know that it is her choice where to find that happiness. If I didn't approve, it wouldn't matter because if she is happen then so am I. But…if you hurt her, I will hurt you, Godfather or not. She is my other half…it would be good that you understand that now." Harry stated in a serious tone.

Sirius turned to look at Remus after hearing the werewolf whimper softly. He pondered what Harry had said before speaking again. "I think I realize now what you two have. It was like James and I. We were able to complete each other's thoughts, yet we were obviously not lovers. It was just this connection…a kinship, almost as if he was my soul's twin."

"Yes I suppose it could be like that. We did try to be together once. Kinda like when Hermione and Ron tried to make a go of it. It just didn't work. We just knew we were always meant to be friends and nothing more. I have seen the men come and go from her life though and I know it is because they are not willing to share her. So be warned now, she will never be yours alone." Harry's eyes latched onto Sirius's.

Sirius stood there listening to his Godson and somehow he understood what was being said to him. He digested it all for a while before speaking up. "I understand. Her love for both you and Ron runs deep, and I realize that when Hermione gives her friendship to someone a part of her heart is always included in that friendship. I just have to believe that the part of her heart designated for me is for much more than that..and I plan to keep her for a long time inside my heart. I would really like to know though if you truly approve of her and I, because surely you have an opinion."

Harry couldn't help but grin at his Godfather. "I've been wondering what took you both so long."

Sirius chuckled and hit Harry in the arm. "Come on, it looks like dawn will approach any moment. If you trust these people you called to help her, then I'll trust them as well."

So it was that the two men agreed and levitated the trussed werewolf behind them while talking casually to one another. As they approached the base, they could hear the clipped commands from Ron Weasley and they immediately knew something had gone wrong.

They broke through the trees to see the chaos surrounding the entrance of the base. Harry recognized the dead Auror on the ground, recalling that his name was Theron.

"What happened? Did a muggle get out of control?" Harry inquired.

Ron stepped towards his best friend with a grim look on his face. "The girl…she panicked and accidentally shot Theron. It managed to kill him before we could even get out of the building." Ron's eyes scanned around and noted that his other best friend was still missing and cursed silently from the frustration of knowing how she had slipped through their fingers yet again.

Harry's mouth turned down even more while he surveyed the scene. Hailey was sobbing against Ginny, while the red headed witch hugged and comforted her. Draco frowned at him while he rubbed Hailey's back and spoke in soothing tones. Remus lay whimpering on the ground while Sirius checked up on his trussed friend. He let a quiet sigh of frustration escape and before he could say a thing, Severus's robes cracked loudly as he rushed out of the building with a scowl upon his face.

"Potter…" he paused long enough to notice that Hermione was nowhere to be seen. "Hermione?" He asked as he cocked his head in a questioning glare.

Suddenly Sirius leapt up and stalked towards the potions professor. Harry let his gaze assess the newest drama unfolding before him. Severus was glaring angrily at Sirius and Sirius looked like an angry dog with his teeth bared.

"Since when the hell do you call her Hermione?" Sirius inquired angrily.

If Harry hadn't been watching so closely he would have missed the slight widening of Severus's eyes revealing his surprise of Sirius's actions. The look was merely a flutter though before it was replaced by a more sinister smirk. "Since more intimate issues came forth between us." Severus purred.

Sirius snarled and lunged towards Severus, causing the man to gasp for breath while fingers wrapped tightly around his throat. Severus's hands reached up to try and pull away the fingers tightening around him, turning his knuckles white while his face was starting to turn a redish purple.

"Sirius!" Harry bellowed and his arm wrapped around his Godfather's shoulders, pulling back to try and separate the two men. Draco ran towards them, leaving behind two stunned looking witches.

"Let go of him Sirius!" Harry yelled into Sirius's ear while he continued to tug. Draco's fingers tried to pry Sirius's away from his mentor's neck.

Harry finally let go of his Godfather and decided to take a trick from Hermione's book. Many a time she would catch Ron and him in a scuffle and many a time he would feel the sting of her punishment. Now it was finally his turn to dole it out.

So it was that Harry stepped back and boxed his Godfather's ears. Sirius recoiled and stumbled backwards as he placed his hands over his ears. The sound of his voice echoed through the woods has he cursed loudly about the pain Harry's hands caused him. Harry slipped between Sirius and Severus and placed his hand on his Godfather's chest so he could push him back and talk the man down quietly. Meanwhile Draco pulled Severus backwards and spoke quietly to his mentor.

"I know you didn't sleep with her Severus…what are you on about?" Draco was rather upset that Hermione's name was being tossed about, but was rather curious what the true relationship was between the teacher and his old student.

"There was nothing sexual between us if that is what you are asking." Severus ground out between clenched teeth. To say he was unhappy about having to explain himself was an understatement, but he felt he owed it to Draco whom he knew was once involved with the witch.

"Shortly before her parents were killed, she came to me for help. Occlumency to be exact." Severus started to explain.

"So that explains all those detentions she got." Draco stated.

"Yes that was why. Well she took the opportunity to inquire about the Deatheater revels….and all that they entailed." Severus said.

Draco gave him a horrifed look. "You didn't tell her everything surely?"

Severus pursed his lips. "Yes I told her everything…Showed her things with a pensieve. After having done so, it seemed silly for me to continue looking at her like a child. It was shortly after that that I allowed her to call me Severus during our lessons and of course she insisted that I call her Hermione."

Draco sighed softly, knowing just how persistent Hermione could be. Then he let his mind drift back to how Sirius tried to make him jealous with Ginny. Finally in a true Slytherin manner he informed his mentor about the location of an intimately hidden mole for revenge.

Severus was all too pleased to learn the information. To think, he thought to himself, the heart throb of Hogwarts is jealous of me. Severus nearly cackled gleefully, but instead opted for a smug smirk.

As the group converged, Sirius gave Severus a resigned look and apologized for trying to strangle him. Severus gave his old enemy a snarky grin while he responded.

"Quite all right old man. Who wouldn't get worried about her. I mean she has that kissable little mole, right above the curve of her delectable buttock." He purred.

Sirius growled. "You bastard…" in response, but Harry was fast enough to prevent his Godfather from attacking once again.

Severus couldn't quite call it quits at that moment though and continued to speak. "I've shown her things that you couldn't even begin to describe." Nevermind that they were the horrors of a deatheater revel, the potions professor thought to himself.

Harry couldn't contain Sirius anymore and fell over while his Godfather lunged once more at Severus. Draco couldn't help but smirk gleefully at the situation until he glanced over at Hailey and Ginny and saw the two witches frowning. With a sigh and the thought of what one does for love, he stepped into the fray and tried to pry the two men from each other once more.

When Harry was finally able to control Sirius and Draco Severus, the two men looked beaten and ragged. Severus growled. "Finally decided to act like a good dog did you?" Harry had finally had it. "ENOUGH! That is enough, the both of you. My best friend is missing and another could potentially die because the sun is about to come up any minute and you two are acting worse then a bunch of first years.!"

Sirius and Severus finally started to look ashamed of themselves and stopped trying to kill one another.

"It is time that we all clean up and clear out. We have been here too long and soon the next shift will be arriving. Ron, I need you to do a final scan inside. Fred and George, I need you to get Remus to Hogwarts. As for you two…" Harry sighed and tried to relax a little. "You two are to behave first off. Severus, take Hailey to Grimmauld and Sirius I want you to come with me. We will search for Hermione ourselves while waiting for word from my contact." Harry ordered.

Sirius seemed pleased that he was asked to find Hermione, and not Severus. When Harry was done issuing orders everyone leapt into action.


	40. Chapter 40

I'm sorry my last few chappies have been so late in posting, but I have to admit my brain hit a mild roadbump along with my life got extremely busy at the same time. The next few chapters should come out more frequently as I have a really clear idea of certain scenes that are up and coming and have half of them already written in my brain. lol. That was why I was so quick with the first 20 chapters...I had the story so mapped out in my mind it just came spewing out. I just had to let my mind get ahead of my fingers once again and so as I said, hopefully I should have another 2 or 3 chapters out over the course of the week.

Thank you to all my readers and reviewers new and old. Each review I receive is completely appreciated and I love each and every one of them. To write a note to everyone is just taking up a lot of space and I know some ppl get irritated with that so I will just answer a few questions that were asked of me instead.

Brandy Rose - All your questions are great ones..but if there is one thing to be learned here, it is that I'm a Slytherin through and through when it comes to giving away things. (insert maniacal laughter here: Mwahahahahahahahahahahaha - End Maniacal laughter) heheh btw, I have read a few stories in which I have stayed up all hours to read because I'm so into them and I'm completely honoured that I have now done that to someone else. Thank you so much! btw Get some sleep! heh

JTBJAB - Honestly I think my fav. couple is SS/HG, but I just thought that writing Sirius would be fun, and he fit rather well with my plot bunny. Don't you worry though...You will get to see more of Sevvie soon. heh

CareBearErin - Yes I love Kelley Armstrong and I highly recommend her books if anyone hasn't read them yet. They are great...and people will see a very bit similarity to the look of the jail and one particular scene with Hermione and Malcolm from it. heheh I also felt the devestation that a werewolf would cause in a building full of people would be very similar to that of one scene from her second book. So there are definate influences from her in my writing up to a certain point. A mild crossover if you will. heh

Onto the chappie...of course all Harry Potter characters belong to JK...the rest belong to me and Dancing in Rain, who is the best muse a person could have.

* * *

The journey from the front desk to the hotel room seemed to take forever for Hailey. She had never felt more helpless in her life than she did at that moment. Not when she took her first train to Hogwarts, not even when she was being picked on by the local bullies in her neighbourhood. This surpassed any moment in her life when it came to complete and utter helplessness she decided to herself.

She glanced quickly at Hermione and couldn't help but frown. It was all Hailey could do to not beg for the older witch's forgiveness. It was because of her that Hermione was captured, and it was because of her that Hermione didn't struggle against Marcus. Soon it would be because of her that Hermione could possibly be raped.

Tears started to fill her eyes. Hailey grew up as a muggle, attending public school and dealing with her peers as they teased her about being a bookworm. The day that she received her Hogwarts letter was filled with disbelieve, awe, excitement and then pride. Not only was unique from her peers because of her intellect, now she realized that she was in fact magical in every sense of the word. Her parents took awhile to warm up to the concept, but in the end they were as loving and supporting as they had always been. To help her learn about the world she was entering, her parents had bought her a few books to read and read them she did. Her favourite was of course Hogwarts, A History but it was while riding on the Hogwarts Express that she started to thumb through another. This was the one that was her first introduction to Hermione Granger, and the moment that the witch became one of Hailey's Heros.

"The Boy Who Lived: An Unauthorized Biography of Harry Potter and Friends" written by Colin Creevey. She was never one for unauthorized biographies, a load of trash they usually were. This one though captured her attention, not because of the famous Harry Potter and his best mate Ron but because of the bookish Hermione Granger. Hailey saw herself in so many ways that she could only hope that she would be able to be one tenth that of the famous Hermione Granger. Often the teachers of Hogwarts compared her tenacity for learning to that of Hermione, and Hailey would burst with pride.

Hailey could almost see the thoughts reflected in Hermione's eyes as the older witch tried to think of a way to get them out of their predicament. It was at that moment that Hailey realized that she had to stop acting so damn helpless and finally grow up and defend herself. It is what Hermione would have done, and it would be what she would do now. There would be an opportunity, it was just up to her to spot it.

* * *

It was indeed true at that very moment Hermione was trying to think of a way that she could get both herself and Hailey away from Marcus safely. What was more important though was getting Hailey out first, then she would worry about herself. First off though, she realized that the day was only just beginning for her. Marcus surely wouldn't settle for letting her have a nap before attempting anything nefarious with her, so she would have to try and convince him to let her freshen up.

The door of the room loomed before them much too quickly for Hermione's liking and when they entered the room the usually soft click of the door shutting seemed to echo in her head. She couldn't help but flinch slightly before turning to face the leering look of Marcus Flint. It was time to set the wheels in motion and hopefully the opportunity of a lifetime would present itself.

"Look Flint, I know that look on your face but I feel like shit which must mean I must look like shit. If you let me have a quick shower I will not fight you in whatever you wish to do." Hermione stated.

Marcus gave her a doubtful look and then glanced to the younger witch. "After she has her shower you are going to stay in the washroom, got it?" he growled to Hailey.

Hailey gave a meek nod and Marcus waved his hand towards the washroom. "Toss your clothes out here and I will scourgify them as best I can."

Hermione nodded silently and then gave the young witch a reassuring look. "It will be alright Hailey."

A cold shower would be good to revive her. The pillows on the beds were calling her name, but she needed to ignore their siren song and wake herself up. If there was something to motivate her to stay awake after having been up for so long, it was the distasteful thought of having to sleep with Marcus.

* * *

Hailey watched as Hermione went into the washroom and then eventually tossed her clothing out onto the ground just outside the door. She couldn't help but notice the dried blood stains on the pants and wondered how on earth they got into the hotel without someone questioning them. Marcus bent down to pick up the garments and pulled his wand out from inside his jacket.

She watched as he cast the cleansing spell on them, but not all of the dried blood was able to be removed. The wizard's brow crinkled slightly as he thought to himself until his face lit up suddenly. With another quick spell the clothing turned from their original cream colour into a rusty brown. Hailey couldn't help the feeling of surprise that filled her at that moment. If there was one thing Marcus seemed to have a talent for, it was choosing a colour that would look just perfect on Hermione. Not only that, but the stains were not as apparent as they had been.

"You seem surprised." Hailey jumped when Marcus's voice broke the silence of the room.

The shower turned on in the washroom and Hailey glanced quickly from the wizard to the door of the washroom. "How could you. You really think that she would ever sleep with you if you hadn't used me as leverage?"

"So the little youngling has a bite." Marcus chuckled.

Hailey jutted her chin proudly and gave him a stubborn look. "If things weren't so…pressing at the moment," Hailey couldn't help the look of disgust on her face as the man adjusted his pants, "then I would have taken the time to perhaps woo her into my bed. I have no doubt though she would have ended up there. I am rather known for my sexual abilities you know."

Hailey gagged aloud. "Oh please, as if. I think she would have slept with Filch before she would ever sleep with you willingly. At least he wasn't a deatheater."

Before Hailey could even register what happened, her head twisted to the side and her body flipped off the bed that she had sat down on. Her cheek throbbed as she put her hand up to cup it and when she looked up at Marcus, his face was mere inches from hers. "You will do well to curb that tongue of yours brat, else I may be tempted to cut it out."

He walked back over towards the door of the washroom and the anger that was just in his eyes, intensified and twisted into a lusty leer. Hailey heard his knuckles crack as he rubbed the backs of them and she wondered if it was from hitting her, or the desire to lay them on the witch in the washroom. She couldn't let Hermione do this she thought to herself. Hailey would much rather die than to have her hero sacrifice herself in that way for her.

She stood up and fisted her knuckles, letting the anger broil within her. "FUCKING BASTARD!" She screamed at him while she lunged, letting her fists fly and managed to crack Marcus on his cheek once before the wizard took over control.

"That is it you little piece of shit!" He growled loudly. "I don't fucking need you anymore anyways now that I have her here with me. You are nothing. Just a wee speck of crap is what you are. An insignificant child that is utterly expendable."

Marcus raised his wand and Hailey cowered back a step.

* * *

The cold watered showered over her skin and goosebumps started to form on her flesh, making her think that she probably looked very similar to a plucked chicken at that moment. The brief thought gave her a momentary chuckle until she could start to feel her teeth chattering.

That was enough she thought to herself, enough to wake her up once more so she reached down and turned on the warm water so that she would stop the uncontrolled shivering that started to rack her body. When she heard Hailey's voice through the sound of falling water, Hermione's senses went on full alert.

She didn't bother to shut off the water, but instead hopped out of the stall and crept towards the door, placing her ear against it. Marcus must have been right on the other side, because she could hear his words clearly. Their cruelness echoed in her mind and anger filled her.

* * *

Marcus was livid to say the least. How dare the little shit try and stop his plans. There was a gorgeous naked woman on the other side of the door beside him, and the little brat decides to go all heroic on him and attacks him. What a stupid girl. His wand was raised to cast the killing curse when the door of the washroom suddenly opened.

The action caused him to turn his head to look and when he did it was like time suddenly went into slow motion. Hermione was standing in the doorway completely naked. His eyes took in her entire form for a moment. Her hair was slicked back, but a strand hung down her forehead with a drip of water that threatened to drop. And drop it did. He saw it fall onto her cheek and down to her chin, hugging the curve of her jawline until it started to snake its way down her neck and over her collarbone. On it continued, zig zagging its way down in between the valley of her breasts. The droplet caressed the smooth skin lovingly he thought to himself as it continued down her flat stomach and past her bellybutton. Soon he thought, soon it would find its way to the very spot that he wanted to be buried in.

Suddenly though his vision started to blur and swim before him and he staggered back as he realized that Hermione's fist had connected with his face. So mesmerized by that one droplet was he, that he failed to notice her haul back and crack him soundly in the face. What seemed like a lifetime to him was in fact a fraction of a second, and it was that moment in time that tipped the balance of power from him to her.

* * *

Fear. This was something that Hailey had come to hate during this whole experience. Her fear was crippling at times, and it was those times that she became a weak sniveling little girl. Well she was done with the fear now. How could she not be when Hermione boldly opened the door completely naked and managed to clock a man that was almost twice her size.

This, Hailey realized, was her moment. She turned quickly and ran to the table that sat between the two beds. Her hands clutched the lamp that sat on the table and she yanked the cord out of the wall as she ran back towards Marcus. She needed to work fast before he was able to regain his control over the situation. If Hailey were ever to write of the moment she sent the lamp crashing down upon Marcus's head, she would have to describe the sound that the connection had made resembled a word that would written as "Thwok" , yes that would be the particular spelling she considered to herself for a moment. Suddenly she couldn't help but giggle to herself as she thought of an old muggle show called "Batman & Robin". It was the fighting scenes in particular that was brought to mind and she could picture the scene that just played out. The lamp would crash down on Marcus's head and a big cartoon bubble would appear on the screen and inside would be the word "Thwok". Oh yes that would be it, she laughed out loud. And when Hermione had gotten her shot, there would have been a large "Blam".

Fingers snapped in front of her face and she blinked as her mind cleared suddenly and Hermione snapped into focus. "Oh…sorry. I guess the pressure just got to me." Hailey said sheepishly, realizing that she must have looked rather maniacal or just clearly off her rocker.

"Its ok, I understand. Hold this while I get dressed quickly. Well damn..the man at least has colour sense." Hermione said pressing a wand into her hand and then looking at the clothing on the bed. She watched as the witch rushed to get her clothing on, pausing only briefly to kick Marcus in the face when he started to groan softly.

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked as she took in the slight swelling on Hailey's cheek. The question brought back the memory of the soreness and she winced slightly as she pressed her own fingers to the area that would surely be bruised by the evening.

"I'm ok." Hailey replied.

"Good, now lets get out of here shall we?" Hermione said with a confident smile.

Hailey nodded emphatically and the two witches stepped over the unconscious wizard and Hermione opened the door. They both jumped back with a startled squeak. There on the other side was a man with his hand raised as if he was about to knock on the door. He immediately saw Marcus on the ground and then glanced up to Hermione.

"Well I see that Renee and Kevin have underestimated their famous Princess." The man said with a grin and leaned up against the side of the door.

* * *

The figure in the hall had nearly scared the crap out of Hermione, and for a brief moment she thought that their escape had been thwarted yet again, but when the man mentioned Renee and Kevin she immediately knew he was there to help. She pushed past him, grabbing Hailey's hand just before she moved and then the man's arm as she stepped into the hallway.

She yanked the two of them, encouraging both to follow her quickly down the hallway to the elevator. This wasn't time for introductions. Who knew how long it would take for Marcus to wake again, and the groans that filtered out into the hallway just confirmed her suspicions. The man had given an irritated snort and yanked his arm out of her grasp, but he didn't argue with her at that moment. When they entered the elevator and the man pushed the ground floor button, Marcus came running out of the room.

Hermione reached over to grab the wand from Hailey and held it up in her hand and twirled it much like a baton. "Missing something Flint?" She called out to him and with an evil grin she raised her other hand and snapped the piece of wood in two. The man had been holding the door open for her, but the look of rage on Marcus's face made him think twice about that decision. Hermione nearly chuckled at how the man repeatedly pushed the button to close the elevator doors. Marcus was running full tilt down the hallway towards them and the bellow of anger could be heard as well as the loud thump as a fist connected with the doors just as they closed.


	41. Author's Note

A/N

Thanks all for your notes…I'll be posting the next chappie immediately!


	42. Chapter 41

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and support. I never really thought of quitting the story really, but I wanted people's opinions as to how I was to carry on. You all are right of course. AU is the only way to go and I will not incorporate HBP into it at all…although this chappie has some veiled thoughts on the matter in my mind of how things are in it.

Sorry for the delay in the chappie…I thought I would have the next one done so quickly but some of my characters were being stubborn. Funny enough Ron wanted to make himself known though and I ended up writing his thoughts on certain things. This was not a planned chappie, so I hope it is alright.

This is inspired by Dancing in Rain's comment she made to me while speaking one night..and I quote, "I prefer to think of the war like a chess match myself... Sometimes you sacrifice the queen so that the pawn can be kinged..." She is so brilliant.

Anyways enjoy…Next chappie hopefully should be out soon.

* * *

Sirius growled when he saw where Harry had taken him. "Why the hell are we here Harry when we should be out searching for her?"

Harry sighed as he unlocked the front door to his apartment. "Because Sirius, we can do nothing until we hear word from my contact. In the meantime you and I need to get cleaned up. We can't very well go traipsing about town while covered in blood can we?"

Sirius looked about ready to throttle his Godson for a moment, but finally gave a resigned sigh. "I know I can sometimes fly off the wall…"

"Sometimes?" Harry inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Ok fine, most of the time." Sirius gave his Godson a wolfish grin and the two men finally started to chuckle. "You will explain more about this contact of yours though will you not? You said they helped Hermione? How? What did they do? Who are they?"

Harry threw his keys down onto the kitchen counter and turned to look at his Godfather. "Yes I will tell you, but first get cleaned up while I make us a spot of tea."

Sirius nodded and did as Harry bade him. He stripped down and let the hot water stream down onto his skin and thought of the last shower he had. She had been with him then. How long had he been in love with her he wondered to himself. If it hadn't been for Hermione, he would never have been released from the veil. Was it that that had drawn him to her? No, he thought not. His respect started for her in her third year of Hogwarts. The brightest witch of the time, there was no doubt about that. Back then though she was just a child. He was able to watch her grow though, blossom bit by bit until that fateful trip into the veil.

How many times had he tried to contact Harry and Remus? He had originally thought it would have been them that would have fought to find him, how wrong he had been. Their minds had been so focused on his apparent death that they just were not open to the possibilities of finding him. Hermione though, she at first wasn't sure but that insatiable appetite for knowledge just wouldn't let go. So it had been her that had initiated his rescue and when they finally had been able to retrieve him he returned to find that everyone had aged and yet he had remained somewhat the same as he had disappeared.

Perhaps it was then that he realized that Hermione could actually be a match for him. It would have figured though that he, the heart throb of Hogwarts in his time would end up so terribly insecure when it came to pursuing her. It had taken a bloody kidnapping for him to finally admit his feelings. Not only that, but he couldn't seem to fight off the extreme jealousy he had felt knowing that Severus and Draco had a relationship with her in the past. Ok perhaps he had been foolish to think that Severus and she would have been romantically inclined, but the two of them were rather similar when it came to interests and intelligence. Why would she not be attracted to someone that would be her intellectual equivalent?

As much as he disliked Severus though, he knew that the man would not have gone against his morals and had an affair with a student. Sirius was rather curious though as to what went on between the two of them. Perhaps he would ask Harry.

Feeling more relaxed due to the heated water coursing over his body, he felt he had enough and turned off the water. He stepped out and dried himself off before wrapping the towel around his midsection and walked out of the washroom. Harry's voice carried down the hallway to him as he told him about the clothes that were laid out for him on the bed in his room. When he was dressed he entered the kitchen ready to volley out a load of questions again, but Harry interrupted by lifting his hand to stop him.

"Not yet Sirius. Drink your tea while I have my shower, then we will talk." Harry stated. Sirius kept silent and nodded before taking his teacup and sitting down on the couch.

* * *

Ron walked through the hallways of Hogwarts. It had been a long night, and the day would probably end up being just as long for him and his brothers. They had managed to clear out the base of all things wizard and obliviated all of the employees and guards that had been left alive in the cells. Let the muggles sort themselves out, they deserved it after having treated Hermione and the others like a bunch of animals in a cage.

He entered the room and immediately Fred and George bustled over to him, whispering to him in hushed tones so as not to disturb Draco, Ginny, Remus and the newly made werewolf. "Is everything all sorted?" Fred asked.

"Have they word on Hermione?" inquired George.

"Yes and no respectively." Ron replied. "How is he?" he asked while looking at his old DADA teacher.

"He took a lot of those slugs, but thankfully they were all made of lead and not silver." Fred answered.

Ron nodded. "Bullets I believe they are called." He stated as he walked over to Remus's bed. The man's face was pale and spatters of dried blood coated his skin.

Fred and George watched their brother, and decided to leave him be. "We are going to go fill Albus in on what happened. Call if you need us."

Ron nodded and sat down beside Remus's bed. While he watched his old professor, he couldn't help but think back on one of the turning points in his life.

"What are you going to do when you leave Hogwarts?"

Ron looked up over the chess set at the werewolf. It was nearing time for him and the others to depart for Hogwarts for their 7th and final year, and soon it would be time for him to make the decision of the question just posed to him. That is if he survived the war between them and Voldemort. For now though they were enjoying their time together in Grimmauld place.

It had been a hard 6th year. Hermione's disappearance after her parents had died was a difficult time for Harry and Ron and it was still very difficult for the two boys to let her out of their sight for too long. She could often be found clucking at the two of them to leave her be, that she was not a baby and that she could take care of herself just as well as she could take care of the two of them. A smirk would usually accompany these comments and the trio would end up laughing.

"I don't quite know what I'm going to do. I'm sure Harry and Hermione will be Aurors, I suppose I should become one myself." Ron furrowed his brow.

"You are your own person you know, with your own set of skills." Remus replied.

Ron snorted. "The only skills I have are to be the comedic sidekick. I don't have the strength of magic that Harry does, nor the brains of Hermione. I'm just good for a laugh really."

Remus frowned at him. "Is that what you truly believe?"

Ron just shrugged and moved his bishop.

"Ron, you underestimate yourself greatly. Do you realize that the key to life is how you view it?" Remus asked. At the confused look on Ron's face he continued. "Ok let me see how best to explain this. A musician could look at life like he or she would music. Every creature and person in this world represents a note within a grand symphony. The musician is skilled at composing the notes, playing them in such an order that what once sounded like a cacophony of noises turns into a beautiful song. Put a note in the wrong place and their life can go out of tune."

He moved his knight and continued to speak. "You Ron have such an ability to look at life much like this. Take this game of chess for instance. There are very few that can actually beat you."

"But it is just a game." Ron stated. "This is my life you are talking about."

"Exactly. Look at the board Ron. Imagine each piece as a player in the game of life. Which piece do you think best represents Voldemort?" Remus asked.

"Well that is easy, he would be the opposing king." Ron stated.

"Yes, now look at the pieces surrounding the king. Each of these represents his deatheaters. Now look at your pieces. Which piece do you think Severus would be?" Remus asked.

Ron gave Remus a disgusted look. "Why should I care what piece the greasy git is." He growled.

"Because Ron, Severus plays a part on this board and it is important to realize what piece he is." Remus stated.

"But how do I know that he isn't really a piece of Voldemorts?" Ron asked.

"I trust Albus more than any other Ron, and he trusts Severus. Therefore I trust Severus as well." Remus stated.

"But what if he really is playing us and not Voldemort like we think?" Ron asked.

"Then we are lost, but don't you think what we could gain by having Severus on our side is worth the risk?" Remus asked.

"I suppose." Ron stated.

"Then let us believe that Severus is a piece of ours. What piece would he be?" Remus kept his eyes on the board as he posed the question.

Ron contemplated for a moment. "A pawn?"

Remus raised his gaze up to Ron's and arched a brow at him. "Do you really believe that Severus does nothing but move forward with a purpose in his life? He never once is able to move back a step?"

"No I suppose a pawn is not right for him. Maybe he is the Queen then, or a bishop?" Ron guessed.

"You are guessing Ron, use your skills in chess and really think on the question." Remus stated.

Ron furrowed his brow and looked at the board. He forced his brain to stretch beyond looking at the pieces as what they were, and instead tried to place faces of those he knew upon them. When it hit him he almost looked as if he would spew.

"He is the king." Ron stated.

Remus's face lit up. "Bravo Ron. Now why is he the king?"

"He is the king because he is one of the most valuable pieces on the board. He is the tie between us and the Dark Lord. We must protect his identity at all costs, and his movements are not free like the Queen or Bishop. His moves are small and calculated, evasive so he won't get caught." It all made sense to him.

"Exactly. Now where would you place Albus?" Remus inquired.

Ron scanned the board with a look of utter determination. "The Queen. He is the piece that steers the rest. He forces others to move into the positions that he wants so that the King becomes vulnerable to attack. He will also sacrifice himself if he knows that it allows the others to checkmate the King."

"There you go. You know about sacrifice from your first year if I remember correctly." Remus stated with a proud smile. "Now is it possible to checkmate a King with one piece?"

Ron shook his head. "No, it is usually a couple of pieces, blocking off each move that the King can make. That would be us…" Ron paused. "Wouldn't it?"

Ron knew he was right when he saw the smile on Remus's face. "So war is not so different from chess really. If you can steer your enemy into moves that you can anticipate the outcome, then eventually you will be able to checkmate the King."

"Not just war Ron, but life in general. You my boy are a brilliant strategist, and I know that you will be one of the ones that checkmate this King." Remus stated. "Besides, you have been doing brilliantly in our extra DADA classes."

Ron felt his chest swell as he sucked in a breath. Pride flowed through is body until it seeped fully into his brain. It was not long after that Ron's sense of direction within his life became more focused. He gradually started to give his opinions on how certain missions should play out, and eventually Albus started allowing him to sort and strategize a few himself. By the time the final battle came Ron was one of their top tacticians. He never forgot the words of advice that Remus gave to him the whole time.

When the war was done, Ron decided that he was done as well. So he opted to pursue other dreams. Quiddich was his other love and the Cannons were thrilled to gain a war hero one of their coaches. Not only was he one of the best, but he also brought fans into the stadium because of his fame. It was this very reason that his boss gave him all the time off he needed to find Hermione. His boss knew that when the story broke of what was going on the crowds would be cramming the stadium to once again watch one of the favourite war heros.

He hoped and prayed that his friends would be alright, but for now he could take care of Remus for he knew that when the man woke up the feelings of guilt would be overwhelming. It was the least that he could do to try and help one of his mentors out.


	43. Chapter 42

Hey all…terribly sorry for the wait on this. Holidays have been busy with my kids at home over the summer. Not only that my computer got some sort of virus that completely shut it down and it just would not start again. I had to totally reformat my hard drive and in the process lost a lot of family pictures that I just won't ever get back.

On a good note though…I got to meet Kelley Armstrong just this past Friday and she signed all my books of hers! She is extremely nice and gave me some juicy tidbits of upcoming books of hers! For those of you who don't know her, she is the author of the books: Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic and Haunted. They are fantastic books and some of my writing in this story was totally spawned from bits in the book Stolen. I highly recommend her as an author!

I hopefully will get more time to write soon as my kids will be heading back to school, giving me more time for some inner thoughts and creativity!

Thanks to everyone for their reviews. You are all awesome!

* * *

There was one thing that remained a constant in Severus's life as a spy and war hero over the years and that was 12 Grimmauld. It was once a home and then deserted. Once it was brimming with life as the Order of the Phoenix used it as their headquarters and hideout. These days it saw activity regularly as a gathering place. Not only for moments of crisis such as the war, or mourning over the death of Sirius or Molly. Of course the former of the two was actually alive, unfortunately thought Severus. Grimmauld was also filled with joyful and comforting moments though, even for a bitter old potions master like himself.

Severus dragged the young girl by her arm and they entered the building that was quiet for the moment. He walked into the foyer and turned to watch the young girl as she took in her surroundings.

"Why have you brought me here instead of Hogwarts Professor?" She inquired.

"You heard Mr. Potter. He said for me to bring you here and this is where I have brought you." He sneered at the young witch and led the way further in the house until he found himself a comfortable chair to sit in.

"Have a seat, this may take awhile." He steepled his fingers as he watched the young girl through his long bangs.

The young witch did not do as she was commanded though. Instead she twirled as she took in all the details of the room as she spoke. "If you don't mind me saying sir. I did not think you to be one to take orders from another. I suppose I always thought you were more of a take charge sort of man."

Severus raised his one eyebrow at this comment as he watched the young woman's face turn towards him to give him a coy smile.

"Even if Potter had told me to take you to Hogwarts I would have brought you here. This place serves a purpose, and today it is fulfilling its duties." Severus responded with a sneer.

The young girl turned her face away in a shy manner before turning to look at him once again. "Are you saying you wished to be alone with me then Professor?"

Severus did not respond to the question, instead he glared at the young woman as he touched his steepled fingers to his lips.

"Is it true what you were saying to Mr. Black Professor? Did you and Miss Granger have an intimate relationship when she was in school with you?" The young witch took a few shy steps towards him.

"Because I have to make a confession Professor, I have always found you to be very…alluring." The young woman's voice started to take on a quiet husky tone.

Severus raised his brows at the sudden shift in the witch's actions, but continued to sit silently.

"Do you find someone like me attractive Professor? I think that I could make you very happy." The young girl purred softly and made her move, straddling his thighs and sitting upon his lap.

Severus sat there for a moment before he raised his hand to touch the young woman's cheek lightly with his fingertips. He stroked the soft skin from her ear down to her chin before raising his hand to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his caress.

"There are many in this world that seek to reclaim the youth they once had. Perhaps one of these ways is to take someone much younger as their lover. I am not one of these people though, but you my darling Narcissa immerse yourself within it." Severus's voice was soft and sultry and enough to send a shiver down even the most stodgy of women.

"Oh pooh, you figured me out." Narcissa replied as she stuck out her lower lip in what would normally have been a sexy pout, but in the child's body it only accented what she currently looked like. A child.

"You my dear are someone that is impossible for me not to notice, but when it comes to your plans I am often left in the dark." Severus said as he lowered both his hands to the arms of the chair.

Narcissa leaned forward and let her lips touch his ear softly as she whispered. "But there are so many fun things we could do in the dark."

"That is enough Narcissa." He replied and pushed her off his lap and stood up so that he could walk close to the fire.

"What is wrong Severus? I thought you found this kind of body attractive. You did after all have an affair with the mudblood while she was in school." Narcissa cooed.

Severus turned his glare towards Narcissa and he felt a surge of satisfaction as he saw her take a step back. "You are never to use that word around me again, and especially never to insult Hermione."

"Ah yes it is Hermione isn't it? Such a fuss over her isn't there. I mean just look who she has panting over her, Potter, Weasley, Black, the werewolf and even you." Narcissa gave Severus a triumphant grin.

"Indeed, and since you have put us onto the topic, what the hell is going on? You may have helped us to defeat Voldemort but don't think that I don't know that you would have betrayed me if you thought the ruddy bastard was going to win the war." Severus growled.

"As you said my dear, I always leave you in the dark and this time is no exception. As for betraying you? I could never do something like that when I love you so." Narcissa purred as she tried to approach Severus.

He barked out a harsh laugh. "There are only two things in this world that you love Narcissa, power and yourself."

A flicker of emotion could be seen on the child's face and Severus knew that he had angered the witch before him. Their relationship was a long and tangled one and even though Severus desired never to revisit what they once had, he always felt the lure to her that he could not deny.

When Lucius had been put into Azkaban Narcissa turned to him for comfort, and eventually that comfort turned into an intense sexual relationship. She was bold and confident, sexy and sensual and yet seemed to manage to keep an innocent air about her. It was like a drug in his system that he constantly strove to fight for she was highly addictive. He fought though because what he said was true. Narcissa loved nothing in this world except for her quest for power and herself. Not even her own son ranked up in the top three loves in her life, not that she would admit it, but Severus knew better.

"Any attempt at seduction will fall flat my dear for your chosen form is far from seductive for me. What Miss Granger and I had was never sexual, and what she and I have you will never attain. Now I know you wanted into Hogwarts, but you will tell me why now." Severus growled.

It was her turn to laugh. "Do you think this collar has leashed my magic like the others. Your threats mean nothing to me Severus. Who said I wanted into Hogwarts? Who said I didn't want to be right here with you at this very moment?" Her voice turned sultry once again.

"We will get answers from you Narcissa, whether you give them freely or by Veritaserum." He growled.

"And how do you suppose you will keep me here Severus? Will you tie me up. Oh dear how could I forget, you did rather enjoy tying me up. I must admit you did the most spectacular things to me, it is enough to make me wet just thinking about it." She purred.

"Enough, I have had enough. You will sit quietly and wait till Potter gets back, then we shall see what happens next." Severus slumped back down into his chair and his eyes never left the fire as Narcissa wandered around the room.

"So this is the famous hideaway my cousin supplied for the Order. You would think that he could have at least fixed the place up." She stopped by the window and her fingers slid through the material of the curtains. "Although these look fairly new. I suppose you have been doing things as you saw fit to clean the place up."

She continued moving around the room and Severus heard her walking behind him. He knew she wouldn't get far if she tried to run from him, so he continued to stare at the fire. "I would complain about the work that the house elves are doing though, there is a layer of dust about this place that is just unacceptable." He heard her shuffling through some items and started to turn to look and see what she was up to. Suddenly he saw stars and then pain sliced through him as his head felt like it was about to explode.

He tried to stand but the moment he moved from the chair his head started to spin and he couldn't help but lose his balance, toppling over the side of the chair and landing hard on the ground. His vision was blurry and his breathing ragged, but he heard her voice through the roaring sound of his blood flowing in his body.

"I'm terribly sorry my love, it needed to be done you see. My partner will not be happy that things didn't turn out as we planned, but you know that I am ever resourceful and I will find another way to get what I need." Something clattered loudly beside him and it rolled into his vision. He saw his blood on the side of the candlestick and he managed to curse his stupidity just before he succumbed to the darkness that engulfed him.

* * *

His dreams were never pleasant ones on the night of a full moon and this night was no exception for Remus Lupin. The night's dreams were more like a nightmare this time, filled with the warmth of blood soaking his skin and the screams of humans that at times seemed almost a most beautiful melody for him. He furrowed his brow at his thoughts and raised a hand to his brow. What had he been thinking? It was the wolf in him still, the last muzzy thoughts that he just prayed were dreams and not reality.

When his eyes finally opened, shucking off the last vestiges of sleep, it was to see a sleeping Ron Weasley sitting slumped in a chair beside his bed. His hands rubbed his eyes once before he attempted to sit up on the bed. A loud gasp escaped his lips as pain ripped through his body and when he finally gained his breath he lifted the blanket slightly to look down upon his body. There were new scars on him. Something happened last night he thought to himself. Something very wrong.

He grunted softly as he slowly lifted himself, trying to shake off the pain that still remained from his wounds. His gentle eyes shifted about, taking in his surroundings while Ron slept silently beside him. It was then he noticed the bed beside him was occupied, and from the looks of his recent scaring a new werewolf had been born.

"He will be alright now. He has suffered through the worst of it, from now it will only get better for him." Ron's voice startled Remus and he cried out as he turned suddenly towards the redhead.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you Remus." Ron gave him a sheepish look.

"It is alright." Remus said with a voice more like a growl. He closed his eyes and sighed softly as he was reminded of his own condition. His transformation usually was like this, leaving him with the remnants of alter ego for a short while in the morning. "I'm sorry myself, I did not mean to sound rude."

"I understand." Ron replied simply.

"Why did you spare him? You should have let him die…" Remus said in a pained voice.

"Is that what you would have done Remus? Truly?" Ron asked.

"Yes. Death is far more preferable than the life of a werewolf." Remus replied.

"You truly think that? Look at his face and tell me you would have left him to die." Remus looked at the man laying on the cot and his face hardened.

"He is one of them, so yes I would have left him to die." He growled.

"No Remus. He was trying to help her. Hermione was the one that asked that he be saved, would you deny her?" Ron asked softly.

Remus sighed. "No I would not deny her that. What kind of life will he have now though? He will be a slave to his condition for the rest of his life, having to take a potion once a month to control his own mind."

"You know Remus, I have learned a lot about muggles over the years. Having a muggleborn as a best friend certainly helps. Something that has always fascinated me though was the true amount of strength that they possess. Us wizards rarely have to live through pain and disease, thanks to potions and spells we are able to get over the tragedies that sometimes befall us. Even you are able to escape from the loss of your mind through a potion. Muggles however tend to live with pain every day of their lives. Whether it be from a simple cold to a devastating illness such as AIDS or Cancer. I know you are aware of these things, but did you know that some of them have to medicate themselves daily in order to survive? Some of their medicines can't even take away their pain without sending them into a drug induced state. We may be stronger because of our magic, but muggles have such a resilience that it is courageous for them to live day to day sometimes." Ron said.

"But you know what, this man is lucky. He has something that you never did when you were first turned." Ron paused and then continued at the curious look his old professor gave him. "He has you. You will be there to teach him what he has become and what will happen in his life from now on. He not only has his new condition to contend with, but he also has a whole new world that has opened up for him and you will need to help him through it."

Remus pondered everything that Ron had said and all that could be heard in the room was the breathing of all three men and the distant movements of the mediwitch. "When did you become so wise Ron?"

Ron gave him a grin. "When a certain wise professor gave me a kick in the ass when it came to my life and how I view it."

Remus chuckled and winced slightly from the shot of pain spiking inside of him. His gaze then went to the sleeping man beside him and he hoped that Ron was right. Perhaps things would turn out better for him because he would have the support that Remus had not had till later in life.


	44. Chapter 43

Sorry this took so long folks. I have decided to start up a live journal to let people know what is going on and when they can expect my next chappie. I will also be putting thank yous on the journal for all reviews intead of in the story as well. I have seen that people do get irritated with them and figured if you want to read em you can just go have a look at my journal, otherwise there are no worries about it. I have posted the link for my journal in my bio page, so go have a look and say hi if you wish!

* * *

Harry watched Sirius as they drank their tea in relative silence. The only sounds to fill the room were the quiet sips and the soft rustle of cloth. Finally Harry sighed softly and spoke. "We owe a large debt of gratitude to the Family, Sirius. Without them I don't know if we would have our Hermione."

Sirius stayed silent as Harry continued to speak. "She was there when the Death Eaters came for them. Both her parents died that day but she managed to get free. We of course had no idea if she was alive or dead at the time. They had been sending us pictures…" Harry paused and a shiver of revulsion rippled through his body at the memory of a time long passed.

"Anyways, she wasn't with them like we thought. Hermione had managed to escape into muggle London and it was there that she encountered Kevin. He is the leader of the Family. The best way to describe their association would be a band of thieves I suppose. You see he tried to rob her but even after all she had been through she fought." Harry put his teacup on the table.

"You can't tell me that Hermione would sanction a bunch of thieves…" Sirius started until Harry interrupted.

"She believed in you when you were thought to be a murderer by everyone in the wizarding world, didn't she?" Harry said softly. "It was Hermione that kept Remus's secret, even from Ron and I, all those years back. Hermione has this ability to see beyond the obvious. She saw it with Severus, Remus and even you. Kevin is a good man. I won't delve into his relationship with Hermione though, I think it is up to her to let you know all those details. They were close though." Harry stated with a serious tone and watched his Godfather as he assessed what had been said.

"So you are saying he was her boyfriend once…" Sirius inquired hesitantly.

"Boyfriend? Hmm, as I said I think you need to speak with Hermione about their relationship. I myself never really asked the full details about what they were to each other. I just know that they were more than just casual friends." Harry stated. "Now I don't want you getting all paranoid about her being with him. She loves you and you have to realize that if you don't trust her, then you will lose her."

Sirius sighed softly and rubbed his hand over his face. "I know, it's hard. I have never had what your parents did. They were so secure in each others love. Hermione and I, we are so new and I fear losing her before I ever get a chance to feel secure in our love."

"She has loved you for a long time Sirius." Harry said with a half smile upon his face. "She fancied you in our third year. Thought you were so brave and admired you for all that you went through. It is not every wizard in this world that can say that they have suffered years of torture from the Dementors of Azkaban and live to tell about it. That night that you complimented her about how smart she was, I could tell it really made her happy. Of course back then she considered it a schoolgirl crush."

"She really fancied me you think?" Sirius asked with a hopeful tone.

Harry chuckled. "She didn't gush about you like Lockhart, but I saw her eyes glaze over and that smile whenever I would mention your name. She couldn't hide much from me then, and she couldn't hide a thing from me now."

There was a pause in their conversation as Sirius digested all that had been told to him until finally he spoke. "This Kevin will do everything he can to find her you think?"

"I know he will do everything he can to find her. If anyone can it will be him." Harry stated.

It grated on Sirius's nerves that he could not be Hermione's hero, but he knew that he would have to rely on this Family to locate her. "I suppose all we can do is wait then?"

Harry gave Sirius a wicked grin. "Of course not." He stood up and walked over to his desk to grab his laptop. "We are going to do a bit of research while we wait."

There were just some things that Harry could not live without, even in the wizarding world, and his laptop was one of them. "We are going to find out everything we can about Crane Industries and figure out just what the hell they want in the wizarding world."

* * *

Hermione turned towards Rielle while the elevator took them down to the ground floor, "I'm Hermione, and you would be?"

Rielle turned towards the attractive young woman. "I would be Rielle, but I know you better as the Princess rather than Hermione. It is an odd name is it not?" he inquired inquisitively.

She seemed to get her back up about the comment and muttered her response to him. "Yes it is, as is Princess. Call me Hermione please."

Rielle raised his eyebrow and smirked as he commented while the elevator continued its downward trek. "Ok Hermione it is."

The young woman held her hand out to him in an expectant manner. "Your phone please." She stated.

"Pardon me?" He replied, somewhat offended by the direct and ordered tone that she took with him.

"Your phone, I need to use your phone is that difficult to comprehend?" She replied.

"First of all, it is I who will be issuing orders. I'm the rescuer here am I not?" Rielle said with a scowl. He paused as he took in her expression that clearly stated that he in no way rescued her and the little chit that was with her.

"What?" He inquired. "I will be the one supplying your transportation am I not? I will be the one taking you to the Warren will I not?" He stated in a smug tone.

"If you really think that I am unable to find the Warren myself, then you are sorely mistaken. For now though I refuse to go to the Warren." Hermione raised her nose into the air as she crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them upwards enough that Rielle could spy a touch of her cleavage.

"Umm.." A slightly distracted Rielle started and then shook his head to look back up into Hermione's face. "Of course you will be going to the Warren. I am under orders to get you to safety, and the Warren means safety."

Hermione uncrossed her arms and poked Rielle in the chest with her finger. "You will listen to me now, I will not go to the Warren and you will hand over your phone right now."

"I don't think so considering that I was sent to come and get you, obviously if you landed yourself in a mess that you needed rescuing from, by the family no less, you don't have the best decision making capabilities." Rielle growled back to Hermione.

Hermione growled in response while Hailey's head bounced between looking at the two of them. The young witch felt as if she was watching a match of muggle tennis and couldn't help the small burst of giggles that escaped her lips.

The two adults swung their gaze towards Hailey and she gave them a contrite look. Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to look back at Rielle. "Either hand the phone to me now or call Renee yourself. It is important that I speak with him." She growled.

The chime interrupted their arguing to signify their arrival to the ground floor and the doors slid open. "And what if I said that I didn't have a phone?" He replied as he stepped out into the Lobby.

"Then I would wonder if you were truly a part of the Family, because Lord knows a member wouldn't be caught dead without their Blackberry." She retorted with a smug look.

"Is that right? You know the family so well do you?" He replied back in a snarky tone.

"Oh sweet Merlin, Avada me now." She mumbled as if extremely irritated. "You must be one of the newer recruits into the inner circle." Hermione sighed. "I know that the reason you are here is due to the woman that checked us in. I know that there are family guarding all the exits, including the group of five over there that are trying to blend, and they are doing it successfully to those that are not aware of their backgrounds. One would think that they truly were a group of businessmen here for a conference."

"And what if I was to tell you that you were wrong and that really is a group of men here for a conference?" Rielle replied.

"The fact that I know three of them gives it away so please stop trying to seem more important than you are and make the call." Hermione purred in a smug tone.

Rielle growled and retrieved his Blackberry from inside his jacket pocket. "I'm doing this because I needed to speak with Renee anyways, not because you ordered it."

"Oh yes of course." She responded in a saccharine tone.

Rielle dialed Renee's number and placed the phone to his ear. "Renee, Rielle here." Hermione tapped her foot while she watched him speak. "Yes we have her. Bouchard is taking care of him." Another pause. "There is a young girl with her. I'm going to take them to the Warren."

Hearing this set Hermione off and she smacked Rielle on the arm. "Did you not hear what I said to you earlier? You will not take me to the Warren. Give me the phone, let me speak with him." She held out her hand expectantly.

"You are an aggravating little bint is what you are." Rielle said in a harsh tone as he pulled the phone slightly away from his ear. "What!" Rielle growled as he put the phone back to his ear. "Of all the…" he growled loudly. "Yes of course sir." Finally with a resigned look Rielle held the phone out to Hermione.

Hermione gave Rielle a sweet smile to rub salt into the wound before taking the phone and putting it to her ear. "Hello Renee."

"Princess, putting my men to the test again are you?" Renee said with a chuckle. "Try not to be too hard on the boy, now why won't you go to the Warren?"

"The people that captured me put a collar on me. I don't know what it is fully yet, so I don't want to risk the Warren in case there are any tracking devices on it." Hermione responded and watched the dawning comprehension on Rielle's face.

"Bloody bastards. Who the hell did this to you? Nevermind that. I'm picking Kevin and Anabel up now, meet us at the Café Véry." Renee said through the phone.

"We will see you there. Thank you Renee." Hermione said with a genuine smile on her face.

"Put Rielle back on for me Princess, we will see you soon." Was Renee's final words to Hermione.

"Here." Hermione said as she jutted the phone in Rielle's direction. He snatched the equipment from her and took Renee's direction with curt responses before hanging up.

"Why didn't you just say you were worried about compromising the Warren?" Rielle asked with narrowed eyes.

"Why didn't you ask?" Hermione responded with a smirk. She turned towards the entrance of the hotel and started to walk out of the building. To thank the others of the Family surrounding her weighed on her mind, but she could not give away their identities and settled for having Renee thank them for her at a later date.

Hailey trailed the two adults with wide eyes. She couldn't quite figure the two of them out. Hermione seemed irritated with him, but not overly so. It was almost as if she were purposely tormenting the guy. Rielle on the other hand looked openly hostile.

Exiting the building Rielle took Hermione's arm and led her towards a side street until they approached a motorcycle parked at the side of the road. He reached to grab his helmet and turned towards Hermione to give it to her. When he looked at her it was to see her with her arms crossed again and an exasperated look upon her face.

"That is our getaway car?" She said in a snooty tone. "That?" She asked again while pointing at the bike. "How do you expect the three of us to get on that hmm?"

Rielle groaned and rubbed his face with his hand. Of course he had forgotten about the chit in all the irritation he felt towards Hermione. "Nobody told me anything about a kid. She yours or something? I suppose if you gave over really young she could be yours." His head twisted to one side and the accompanying sting of the slap that resounded around them stopped him from saying any more.

"Now that you have had some sense knocked into you, you will get us another bike and then you will take Hailey with you seeing as you think my decision making abilities to be lacking. Obviously she will be much safer with a big strong man like yourself." Hermione's tone brooked no argument and Rielle turned and stomped away from the two witches.

Hermione turned towards Hailey with a smirk. "Lovely gentleman isn't he?"

Hailey chocked slightly and gave her a bewildered look.

Hermione chuckled softly and gave her a wink before continuing to talk. "Rielle is from a group of friends that I know Hailey. We are going to be alright now. They will have stopped Marcus from leaving the hotel, at least of his own volition." She gave Hailey an evil smirk.

"The last person that tried to hurt me while under the protection of the family ended up halfway to Saudi Arabia before he woke up from being drugged." She said with laughter in her voice.

"Oh…" Hailey responded looking rather shocked. Both witches turned their heads at the roaring of a motor and around the corner they saw a motorcycle screeching and then coming to a stop in front of them. Rielle lifted the helmet off his head and grabbed one that was hanging of the back of the bike.

"Here I brought another helmet for the girl. Do you know how to work one of these things?" He looked at Hermione as if he knew right off that she would not.

"Hmm I don't think I do, perhaps you can show me?" She responded with an airy tone.

Rielle rolled his eyes and got off the bike. He gave Hermione a crash course on Motorcycles 101 all the while speaking to her as if she were a child. All the while Hailey stifled the giggles that wanted to escape as she watched Hermione rolling her eyes at the man's attitude. Finally Rielle looked up at Hermione, "Do you think you can handle this?"

"I suppose I must. With such excellent instructions how could I fail?" Hermione said in a sickly sweet tone.

Rielle paused for a moment to assess the woman, as if he would refuse to let her ride the bike alone, but knowing that didn't have another option at the moment he nodded his head and waved at Hailey. "Come with me, just in case she crashes into something."

Hailey glanced over at Hermione and the older witch gave her a smile and nod.

"Do you know how to get to the Café Véry?" Rielle inquired.

"It is at Jardin des Tuileries. Yes I know of it." Hermione straddled the motorcycle and then pulled on her helmet. Leaning forward she gripped the handles while she kicked the stand up and out of the way. Hermione looked apprehensive as she started the machine and then after having done so she gave Rielle a broad smile. The man just looked worried while Hailey looked puzzled as she gripped Rielle's waist as she sat behind him.

Hermione gave them both a wink as she revved the engine and suddenly she was off, weaving down the road through the cars as if she had been born on the back of a motorcycle. Rielle sat there stunned for a moment till he lowered his head and muttered to himself. "Merde."


	45. AN

A note to everyone…no I'm not dead. Heheh My life has been a tad busy recently and I haven't been able to fully concentrate on my story. I have a livejournal page which you can see what I'm up to for info on what is going on and when a new chapter will be up. Please note that this story is not abandoned! It is just on a temporary hiatus while my life tries to resume a normal pace and my brain is functioning for fanfic again. Check my bio page for the link to my live journal.

A new chapter has been started, but it is slow going for me atm.


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